GUIDE TO THE BIOGRAPH COLLECTION MUSEUM OF MODERN ART DEPARTMENT OF FILM THE CELESTE BARTOS INTERNATIONAL FILM STUDY CENTER Compiled by Ronald S. Magliozzi and Alice Black Department of Film and Video Museum of Modern Art New York 1 MUSEUM OF MODERN ART DEPARTMENT OF FILM THE BIOGRAPH COLLECTION Initial processing completed December 31, 1996, by Alice Black, under the supervision of Ronald S. Magliozzi. Final arrangement and description in process from October 1999, by Ronald S. Magliozzi. As part of the Film Study Center's Special Collections, the material in the Biograph Collection has been culled from a number of sources. Catalogued together these documents trace the production history of this early American studio from its inception as the American Mutoscope Company in December 1895, through its development from the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company to the Biograph Company in the Spring of 1909. The company was formed by four men: William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, Herman Casler, Harry Norton Marvin and Elias Bernard Koopman who created and marketed their unique projection system, the Biograph. By the early 1900's the prosperity of the Biograph company posed a significant threat to the market dominated by Thomas A. Edison. A successful court challenge against Edison's powerful patent lead to the establishment of the United Film Services Protective Association to protect their interests against the exhibitors in 1907. Home to director D.W.Griffith, Biograph became one of the most successful studios of the period. The material gathered in the Biograph Collection documents the studio's early business activities as well as production practices of the later period. Boxes 1 through 3 contain title and assembly sheets for 1912 through 1916 releases and reissues. These are organized in numerical and alphabetical series. There is also a separate listing of films made for the "Klaw and Erlanger" series. Established by Biograph in 1913, this contract was to have produced two features a week from theatrical plays owned by the two theatre magnates. In theory, the higher production value of these films would allow Klaw and Erlanger to charge a higher rate of admission, but owing to the lack of audience interest the original plan was never fulfilled. The majority of these title sheets are typed with hand-written corrections. Included in the series are a number of foreign language versions for export markets. Box 3 also contains The American Mutoscope and Biograph Co., NY Picture Catalogue, 1st Edition, November 1902 (Film Study Center Spec Coll 80.1 AM35). For reference use the microfilm copy 0176s. NOTE: this volume should not be confused with The American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. “Photo Catalogs” that are stored in Boxes 13-22, and available for reference on microfilm reel #2 of Thomas A. Edison Papers: A Guide to Motion Picture Catalogs by American Producers and Distributors, 1894-1912 (microfilm 0146s, stored in the Library). Boxes 4 through 7 contain the Biograph ledgers. These books record a variety of information; lists of script and story ideas bought by the company; names and addresses of scriptwriters; footage counts; lab reports and stock room inventories. Biograph production records (ledger 4, box 4) are available on microfilm 0125 (stored in the Library). 2 Box 8 contains the correspondence and other business documents which trace the origins of the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. This material records the company's dealings with its shareholders and other institutions. Included is the Henry Marvin collection of contracts, inspection records, correspondence and financial records. Boxes 9,10, 11 and 12 contain restored title cards and publicity materials in the form of "Biograph Bulletins." Much of this fragile and oversized material are stored in the flat tan archive boxes. Also included are contemporary documents relating to scholarly research involving the Biograph collection. Many of the bulletins are reprinted in two volumes (Library or FSC) or on microfilm (Queens Library). Boxes 13-22 contain the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. “photo catalog”. This is a sales catalog which documents films produced between 189? and 1902. Each entry consists of three photographic images from the film, its production number, title, length and a code word for ordering purposes. Boxes 13-17 house reference copies; boxes 18-22 house the original pages which are NOT FOR REFERENCE. For reference use microfilm reel #2 of the Thomas A. Edison Papers: A Guide to Motion Picture Catalogs by American Producers and Distributors, 1894-1912. This is microfilm 0146s stored in the Library. A catalogue and microfilm of The D.W.Griffith Papers 1897-1954 compiled by the Museum are also available in the Library. These papers have been organized into three series: business and personal correspondence, financial records and scrapbooks. Additional material can be found in the Archive file "D.W.GRIFFITH—Biographs." Access to this file is RESTRICTED. It contains contemporary correspondence, film lists, programs which relate to the Musuem of Modern Art's collection of films. Included are the lists of prints made for Jay Leyda at New York University and the Werner Deutsch Westdeutsches Fernsehen. 3 Table of Contents: (for detailed description see main text of this catalog) MICROFILMS. AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO., NY PICTURE CATALOGUE 1ST Edition, Nov 1902- (80.1 AM35) microfilm 0176s (location: Library) BIOGRAPH BULLETINS, 2 Mar 1907-7 Nov 1912 (83.41 B52) microfilm (location: MoMA Queens) BIOGRAPH PRODUCTION RECORDS vol. 1 and 2, 1899-1912 (83.41 B52pI/83.41 B52pII) microfilm 0125 (Library) THOMAS A. EDISON PAPERS: A GUIDE TO MOTION PICTURE CATALOGS BY AMERICAN PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS, 1894-1908. Edited by Charles Musser. Frederick, MD: University Publications of America, 1985. (80.15 M857) microfilm 0146s, reel #2 (Library) BOX 1 - BIOGRAPH TITLE SHEETS Files [1-1] through [1-9] BOX 2 - BIOGRAPH TITLE SHEETS Files [2-10] through [2-12] KLAW AND ERLANGER SERIES, ASSEMBLY SHEETS Files [2-13] through [2-21] BOX 3 - BIOGRAPH ASSEMBLY SHEETS KLAW AND ERLANGER SERIES Files [3-22] through [3-36] PLOT SYNOPSIS AND CAST LISTS File [3-37] TITLE SHEETS, MISC. File [3-38] through [3-42] TITLE SHEETS, TRAILERS File [3-43] through [3-53] BIOGRAPH PICTURE CATALOG, November 1902 File [3-54] BIOGRAPH FILM CATALOGUE SUPPLEMENT NO1 File [3-55] GEORGE KLEINE PROGRAM File [3-56] JUDITH OF BETHULIA PRESS File [3-57] MOTION PICTURE PATENTS CO. ENVELOPE File [3-58] PENNANT FOR HELEN BRAY File [3-59] NY DRAMATIC MIRROR ADVERTISEMENT 1913 File [3-60] NOTE: LEDGERS MAY NOT BE PHOTOCOPIED. USERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO COPY INFORMATION BY HAND. BOX 4 - BIOGRAPH LEDGER # 3-5 #3 “Biograph Stories” #4 “Biograph production records” v1 and v2, 1899-1912 (83.41 B52p1/ 83.41 B52pII) NOT FOR REFERENCE-USE MICROFILM 0125 #5 “production records #2051-4052” BOX 5 - BIOGRAPH LEDGER # 6-12 #6 “Film orders” 1908-1919 #7 booklet for cameraman’s use 4 #8 “photographed by A. Marvin” #9 “list of supplies” #10 “subjects copyrighted 1902” #11 “shooting schedule 1914” #12 “films in vault in Bronx” BOX 6 - BIOGRAPH LEDGER # 13-21 #13 “copyright book” #14 “1908 (camera access….)” #15 “copyright book “[as #13] #16 “mutoscope reels 1901-1904” #17 “mutoscope reels 1903-1908” #18 [production records #2551-4018, 1905] #19 “Film orders 1916-1917” #20 unidentified #21 THERE IS NO #21 BOX 7 - BIOGRAPH LEDGER Files [7-1] and [7-2] #22 “unidentified vault/lab register” #23 “record of negatives 1908-1911” MISC. AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE & BIOGRAPH CO. CORRESPONDENCE Files [7-3] through [7-23] BOX 8 - MISC. AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE & BIOGRAPH CO. CORRESPONDENCE Files [8-1] through [8-14] LIST OF BIOGRAPH STORY REGISTERS File [8-15] HENRY MARVIN COLLECTION RECORDS File [8-16] RECORD OF SCREENPLAYS 1900-1916 File [8-17] THORNTON/COLE/BIOGRAPH CORRESPONDENCE File [8-18] PAT LOUGHNEY CORRESPONDENCE File [8-19] THOMAS R. GUNNING DISSERTATION File [8-20] BOX 9 - BIOGRAPH TITLE CARDS MISC Files [9-1] through [9-17] CORRESPONDENCE 1996 File [9-18] PHOTOCOPY OF DWG ADVERTISEMENT File [9-19] BOX 10- BIOGRAPH BULLETINS NOT FOR REFERENCE-USE MICROFILM OR BOUND VOLUMES BOX 11 - BIOGRAPH TITLE PROOFS BOX 12 - PAUL KILLIAM REPRODUCTION TITLE CARDS BOX 13 - AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] #1-499 5 BOX 14 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] #500-1001 BOX 15 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] #1002-1502 BOX 16 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] #1503-2002 BOX 17 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] #2003-2502 BOX 18 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] originals. #1-499 NOT FOR REFERENCE – USE BOX 13 or MICROFILM BOX 19 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] originals.#500-1001 NOT FOR REFERENCE – USE BOX 14 or MICROFILM BOX 20 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] originals.#1002-1502 NOT FOR REFERENCE – USE BOX 15 or MICROFILM BOX 21 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] originals. #1503-2002 NOT FOR REFERENCE – USE BOX 16 or MICROFILM BOX 22 – AMERICAN MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH CO. [PHOTO CATALOG] originals. #2003-2502 NOT FOR REFERENCE – USE BOX 17 or MICROFILM 6 EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS TLS = typed letter signed by writer TL = typed letter with no handwritten signature TM = typed manuscript TMHN = typed manuscript with handwritten notation HW = handwritten document 7 BOX 1 - ACQUISITION AND USER RECORDS File 1-0 BIOGRAPH TITLE SHEETS Files 1-1 through 1-9 1 - 0 Acquisition and user records. Catalogue disk Note: dates given in brackets have been added by the cataloguer from copyright records; all other dates are those that appear on the documents 1 – 1 Title sheets, 1909,1911-1912 releases. FRAGILE 3620 Pippa Passes or the Song of Conscience. 27 Sept 1915. TMHN 1 p.