''Motion Pictures in Education: A Practical Handbook for Users of Visual Aids'' is a 1923 non-fiction book by

Laura Thornburgh Laura Thornburgh (February 8, 1885 – March 28, 1973) was an American author, journalist, photographer, director, and film editor who was best known for her 1937 guidebook to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, published under the pen name Lau ...

, under the pen name Laura Thornborough, and Don Carlos Ellis, as an early work focusing on using films in classrooms. Scholars believe that the book is among the first major works about using films to teach students.

Thomas Y. Crowell Co. Thomas Y. Crowell Co. was a publishing company founded by Thomas Y. Crowell. The company began as a bookbindery founded by Benjamin Bradley in 1834. Crowell operated the business after Bradley's death in 1862 and eventually purchased the compan ...

published the book in 1923.

Synopsis

The book opens with an introduction by

Philander Claxton Philander Priestly Claxton (September 28, 1862 – January 12, 1957) was an American educator and administrator. Biography Philander Claxton was born in Bedford County, Tennessee. He was educated at the University of Tennessee where he obtained ...

, former U.S. Commissioner of Education, on using films to teach. It shows how teachers can instruct students by using a film projector, combined with typical methods, while detailing how to choose the needed films and equipment. The book contains the history of moving pictures up to the early 1920s, starting with horse pictures by

Eadweard Muybridge Eadweard Muybridge ( ; 9 April 1830 – 8 May 1904, born Edward James Muggeridge) was an English photographer known for his pioneering work in photographic studies of motion, and early work in motion-picture Movie projector, projection. He ...

that were moved quickly to imitate movement. It mentions how films were initially meant for education, but that they quickly became produced for profit. 125 film distributors are listed, including the government and state universities, to obtain films for classroom use. It is noted that film distribution to institutions with a low profit margin typically did not happen, including schools. The authors thought some films should only be created for such institutions, but they did not want Hollywood or the government to produce such films. 17 objections to films being used for teaching are listed which includes dulling imagination, causing eye strain, being a fire hazard (due to the use of

nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...

in non-amateur film gauges before 1951), and replacing traditional instruction.

Impact

The ''

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The distribution of the following ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', '' ...

'' said in 1923 that the book is "well-written" and "contains a wealth of information relating to educational films". ''The Journal and Tribune'' wrote in 1923 that it has "limitless possibilities for the use of the moving pictures in the school room" and that it was "the first real authoritative work on the subject". Grant Smith of ''The Chicago Schools Journal'' wrote in 1924 that the "whole book is a serious and valuable effort". Much of the 17 objections about films in classrooms were proven false by 1933, with one of the remaining objections being that there are uncertain benefits.

References

External links

* {{Internet Archive, motionvisualaids00ellirich, ''Motion Pictures in Education: A Practical Handbook for Users of Visual Aids'' 1923 non-fiction books Books about film Books about education Public domain books Works published under a pseudonym