Making Movies In 1899...Lubin Studios, Philadelphia Before there was Hollywood, there was Betzwood. Before there were film moguls and studio lots in California, Siegmund Lubin was doing it in Pennsylvania. Lubin was originally an optical and photography expert in Philadelphia but he became intrigued with Thomas Edisons motion picture camera and saw the potential in selling similar such equipment as well as the making of films. Lubin constructed his own combined camera/projector he called a Cineograph and his lower price and marketing know-how brought reasonable success. In 1897 Lubin began making films for commercial release. Certain his business could prosper, the following year he rented low-cost space on the roof of a building in Philadelphias business district (seen here). He exhibited his new equipment at the 1899 National Export Exposition in Philadelphia and the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. The insatiable appetite of the American public for motion picture entertainment saw Lubins film company undergo enormous growth. Aided by French-born writer and poet Hugh Antoine dArcy, who served as the studios publicity manager, in 1910 Siegmund Lubin built a state of the art studio on the corner of Indiana avenue and Twentieth Street in Philadelphia that became known as Lubinville. At the time, it was one of the most modern studios in the world, complete with a huge artificially lit stage, editing rooms, laboratories, and workshops. The facility allowed several film productions to be undertaken simultaneously. The Lubin Manufacturing Company expanded production beyond Philadelphia, with facilities in Jacksonville, Florida, Los Angeles, and then in Coronado, California. In 1912, Lubin purchased a 350-acre estate in Betzwood in the northwest outskirts of Philadelphia and converted the property into a studio and film lot. This was to be one of the first real film lots in history and is shown here complete with its western set. Enjoy and share!
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:16:50 +0000
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