The contents of A History of Pre-Cinema Volume 1 (and its companion volumes 2 and 3) cover the optical devices used for entertainment and instruction that proliferated before the introduction of cinema. To view pre-cinema devices merely as steps towards the cinema, however, would be a very narrow perspective. They were - and in some cases still are - self-contained media with their own peculiarities, differences, potential and limitations. This volume concentrates on items published before the spread of the cinema and later references to devices of that period. Having easy access to original texts in facsimile is a useful resource for researchers. Volume 1 is divided into the following sections: The camera obscura; Photography; Stereoscopy; Moving photographs; Chronophotography; Optical, philosophical toys.

A History of Pre-Cinema Volume 2 (and volumes 1 and 3) cover the optical devices used for entertainment and instruction that proliferated before the introduction of cinema. Volume 2 is divided into the following sections: Peepshows; The Panorama; The Diorama; Magic Mirrors; Shadowplay; Magic Lanterns; Pepper's Ghost; Recreative Science; Various Optical Devices.

Volume 3 of A History of Pre-Cinema contains a complete reprint of Olive Cook's book Movement in Two Dimensions. In it, the author carefully describes how each of the technologies worked, but she is more concerned with the aesthetic and cultural than the technical.

Volume 1 of A History of Early Film begins with the period of technical invention. The story of Edison's peepshow Kinetoscope, set up in arcades from April 1894, is told by W. K. L. Dickson. 'Lantern Projection of Moving Objects' heralds the arival of the first screenings in Britain, arranged by Auguste and Louis Lumière, Robert Paul and Birt Acres, announcing the new medium as a progressive development of optical moving-image toys, magic lantern projection and the Kinetoscope. It includes an evocative selection of advertisements for the earliest films and cinematographic apparatus of 1896-7. The last part of the volume covers 1901-6 as the medium of cinema developed.

Volume 2 of A History of Early Film examines filmmaking and presentation during the latter part of the early cinema period. Technology did not stand still during these years and despite problems with editing, synchronization and amplification, many auditoria were fitted with sound-film equipment during the early cinema periods. Much of the discussion in the trade magazines revolved around economic and commercial subjects, including expenses incurred in complying with new laws, and the damage caused by irresponsible promoters. Among the material included is a complete reprint of the 1913 edition of Colin Bennett's The Handbook of Kinematography. Technical production is covered with a section on micro-kinematography, tele-kinematography and general natural history filming. Film exhibition is also discussed and a final chapter covers coyright and censorship.

Volume 3 of A History of Early Film examines critical responses to early cinema, including the impassioned thoughts of one of the first film critics, the American poet Vachel Lindsay and considers some contemporary judgements of the social aspects of moving pictures. The volume also includes the 1917 report The Cinema: Its Present Position and Future Possibilities...which provides a unique record of the attitudes towards the cinema by its British audiences exhibitors, producers, guardians of morality and those responsible for licensing.

This set collects together for the first time rare and scattered material on the history of pre-cinema. It includes articles on stereoscopic photography; the use of kaleidoscopes; optical illusions; theatre design; magic lanterns and mirrors; shadow theatre, and much more. The articles are taken from sources such as The Magazine of Science, The Art Journal, The British Journal of Photography, Scientific American, American Journal of Science and Arts, and The Mirror.

'...this is an utterly engaging and valuable collection of early British film documents. Highly recommended for comprehensive film-history collections serving upper-divison undergraduates, researchers, faculty, and general readers - T. Lindvall, Choice Vol. 38 No. 3 February 2001

There's more to Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) than a strange name and the fact that he shot dead his wife's lover. Best known for his sequence photographs of humans and animals in motion, the 'galloping horse photographer' has left a legacy of scientific and artistic work that continues to influence visual media today. A spinoff from the website The Compleat Muybridge, is Muy Blog on Wordpress, keeping Muybridge enthusiasts up to date with what's happening in the wide world of Muybridge and his images. This souvenir selection is from the first four years of news, research and comment. Read about the modern Profilograph bronze sculpture technique that morphs a galloping horse into a four-dimensional artwork, illustrating time as well as space. Follow the 1895 commotion about the hugely expensive folio Animal Locomotion: "not one in twenty thousand would undertand it..." Enjoy the evocative lyrics of "Good Evening, Major" - almost the last words that Flora Muybridge's lover would ever hear - from the engaging video by the band Accordions. Find out what connects Ronald Reagan, Muybridge, and Death Valley. Enjoy the zoopraxographer's influence on the cartoonists of the late 19th century. Follow the author as he goes "In search of Helios." Was Eadweard Muybridge really 'The Father of the Motion Picture'? Read about the exhibitions, the controversy, and The Smartest Kid on Earth. Catch up with Muy Blog in this handy printed form.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

"Fishing in the Bahamas" brings to you the wonderful colours of the Bahamas and the excitement of catching some of the worlds best sportfish. Excerpts "I was in the boat going out of Sampson Cay with the sun on the horizon. It was so pretty, pinks, red purples in the sky, what a great day for fishing." "I put out all the rods using all the colours I had selected. They looked good, all were bobbing, splashing and dancing in and out of the water. The birds were going crazy, diving into the water at what seemed like 100mph, small fish jumping everywhere.What was underneath feeding on all these fish to cause them to jump out of the water."