LIFE BEHIND THE BARS 1903 Movie Poster by BARNSDALE'S ELECTRIC MOVING PICTURE CO

Description

* * * * *
EARLY 1903 DOCUMENTARY FILM
Up for sale is one of the richest stone lithographed posters you’ll ever find. It’s also one of the earliest original motion picture posters to ever surface on the collector's market. It’s a 1903 documentary called, “Barnsdale Presents Life Behind The Bars.” This remarkably beautiful half-sheet (approx. 21x29 inches) was printed by the American Showprint Co. back in the days when stone lithography was at its peak. In the early 1900's the medium of posters were also at their peak, in the way of importance as advertising – before the days of radio and color magazines.
This original poster is in
SOLID NearMINT ORIGINAL CONDITION!
It has a slight fold in the middle, but other than that it’s pretty darn astonishing! The poster will be professionally packaged to make sure this 113 year old poster arrives undamaged.
This early documentary film was shot and exhibited by Walter Barnsdale, owner of Barnsdale's Electric Moving Picture Company.
He
made a special deal with the W
aupun Prison
in Wisconsin to show entertainment films to the prisoner’s in exchange for the right to photograph their life behind the bars. It was a smart and lucrative move as it turned out to be one of the attractions that most interested the public and one of
Barnsdale's
most profitable films.
I've posted an image
of th
e original flyer that Barnsdale circulated advertising the prison films.
I
do not
have an original flyer to offer,
but I thought it would be helpful and informative to post a
scan for reference - THE FLYER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SALE.
It explains about
Barnsdale's
arrangement
with the prison and
contains great information that clarifies exactly what this poster is advertising
.
(
see photo #3
).
A Brief History of Walter Barnsdale
Walter Barnsdale immigrated to the United States from England in the mid 1800's. He came with an engineering background acquired during an apprenticeship with a European locomotive company. After a few engineering jobs here in the States, Walter then entered into the moving picture business - shortly after Thomas Edison was accredited with inventing the motion picture. By 1903, Barnsdale established his film company and himself as one of the early pioneers of the motion picture business. Not only did Barnsdale produced his own films but he also invented his own electronic lamp-house and portable power supply, which he added to the few already existing early mechanical devices that were designed to exhibit film to the public. His contribution towards exhibition was critical to the advancement of the motion picture. He was a respected contemporary of Thomas Edison, Siegmund Lubin, and the Lumiere brothers. Barnsdale was known for exhibiting his own film creations as well as presenting other important world attractions, such as close-up movie footage of the Wright Brothers original 1903 airplane as well as the historic flight at Kitty Hawk, and, Buffalo Bill Cody’s self-made 3-reel feature, “The Life of Buffalo Bill.” He traveled stateside throughout Wisconsin with his Electric Moving Picture Company. Back in those early film pioneer days - over 110 years ago - Barnsdale heavily emphasized the use of the word “Electric" in his advertising campaigns. Electricity was a real selling point, as it represented the new and coming technological revolution that had just begun in American life at that time. It’s similar to the way it was here in the United States with the use of the word “digital” at the turn of this century. Barnsdale got out of the movie business around 1917, when traveling shows were no longer viable. By then, the studio system had begun to monopolize the film business with large movie palaces throughout the country.
Below is a transcript of Walter Barnsdale's 1951 obituary that outlines SPECIFICALLY the inventions and inovations that he made in the field of motion pictures
:
(A
lso see the scans of the original newspaper articles - eBay Photos #4&5)
STEVENS POINT DAILY JOURNAL
WALTER BARNSDALE FRONT PAGE OBITUARY
STEVENS POINT WISCONSIN, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1951
W. Barnsdale Dies at Plover Home Thursday
Pioneer in Movies Toured State With Portable Machine
Walter Barnsdale, a pioneer in the movie industry died suddenly about 4:20 Thursday afternoon at his home at plover at the age of 83. A long time resident of Plover, Mr. Barnsdale was well known locally for his many activities in the field of motion pictures. Early in the century, he toured the state with his own portable projector, using a gasoline engine of his own design to provide the power.
Mr. Barnsdale was born May 14, 1867, at Donnington England, a son of the late Richard and Mary Barnsdale. He spent his boyhood in England and in the early 1880’s received his engineering papers after serving a three year apprenticeship in a locomotive shop there. He came to this country in the winter of 1885 and arrived at the farm of his uncle, George Barnsdale, in weather 20 degrees below zero.
He helped his uncle operate the farm located east of Plover, and for a time was a lumberjack near Phillips. A short time later he went to California where he was employed as an engineer in the construction of the Colorado Beach hotel in San Diego. Four years later he went to Chicago and worked as an engineer for the Chicago Transit Company. In 1991 he returned to his uncle’s farm at Plover.
Married in 1891
On May 18, 1891, he was married at Stevens Point to Kate Barnsdale, daughter of George and Sara Barnsdale. The couple lived for a time on her Father’s farm, where Mr. Barnsdale opened a bicycle repair and machine shop. Later they moved to plover and he set up his repair shop in town.
Several years later he became interested in the new industry of moving pictures and began his pioneering work in that field.
About 1926 he began working as a machinist for the Whiting Plover paper mill and worked there until he retired in June, 1945.
Surviving Relatives
Mr. Barnsdale is survived by his wife; four sons.
Three daughters preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Boston funeral home. Rev. John Kendall will officiate and interment will take place in the spring in Plover cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home from Saturday noon until the time of services.
Willed Film to Troop I
Mr. Barnsdale, who started giving motion picture shows when movies were in their infancy, took a film of former Troop I of Stevens Point at Camp Douglas, Wis. In 1917, and willed that film, at his death, to that group of World war one soldiers.
Although Mr. Barnsdale’s name is unknown in movies today, he pioneered in the field and made important contributions to it through his inventions. He literally brought to the doorsteps of thousands of Wisconsin people the first “flickers” they ever saw. He travelled from one end of the state to another showing the first movies to audiences at crossroads, towns and cities, and also ventured into Chicago. Hollywood was still in its infancy and many of Mr. Barnsdale’s pictures were reels of film imported from England, Norway, France and Italy. Others were pictures of local scenes and events, which he took and developed over the years.
Mr. Barnsdale’s first contact with movies was in 1896. A musician had come to Steven’s Point, bringing motion pictures as an added attraction for show patrons, at the old Opera House. Mr Barnsdale then was an electrician for the former Stevens Point Lighting Company and he and the late F.A. Sustins were sent to assist in doing necessary wiring. His interest was aroused. He learned later that the first motion picture ever shown upon a screen was in the music halls of London, in 1895, by a man named Robert Paul, who was an inventor and operator.
Movies Flickered
The first movies attempted were unsuccessful because the film, actually a continuing series of “still pictures,” moved constantly, resulting in dancing flickers. Paul applied intermittent motion to overcome this. In 1897 a man came to Plover with the first crude Edison machine, using a limelight for projection. Mr. Barnsdale attended the show and noticed that the picture was small and indistinct. The Plover man knew that the gaslight apparatus did not have the power of the electric arc. He decided to make a portable electric plant to use in small towns. Experienced in both gasoline engines and electricity, he designed and made such a plant in his shop at Plover. He subsequently improved the early day motion picture machine by adding sprockets with gears to provide proper timing. Mr. Barnsdale recalled later that, so far as he knew, this was the first improvement on the Edison Machine. The timing speeded up the film’s exposure by lengthening the intervals of light to reduce the flicker.
At that time, near the turn of the century, the Plover man also perfected the “take-up” reel upon which film is mechanically wound after passing through the machine. He is believed to have been the first person to put this device into use. Up to that time the early day films passed through the machine and ran into a cloth sack, to be rewound afterward. The exposed curling strips of celluloid always were a fire hazard. The take-up removed this hazard as well as taking care of the film.
Invented Loop Principle
Another of Mr. Barnsdale’s inventions was the “loop” principle. This overcame a direct pull and jerking on the film, assuring a continuous regular feeding speed with a shuttling motion. He also built a projector and developed a machine and light that were unexcelled in those days. He invented an electrically operated shutter as a safety device to prevent fires. He found that even Chicago showhouses were behind the time on this point – for a while its movie houses were using shutters that were operated by foot pedal.
In those pioneering days most of the pictures were supplied with gas illumination. It was inferior to the electricity he was able to provide with his portable plant. This, he believed, did more than anything to revolutionize the art of showing movies in small towns, which were then mostly without electricity. His power plant made incandescent lighting possible in the showhouses. He also invented an electric governor for his gas engine, to regulate the power and current.
Gave First Shows Here
With these improvements, the Plover man then launched into the motion picture business. He used more slides than film at first because of an inability to buy film. He gave shows in the old G.A.R. hall at Plover, and in the school house at McDill in 1900. In 1903 he gave the first shows in Stevens Point, and in 1904 he started on the road with a complete motion Picture outfit. Usually showings were in halls where he took care of his own advance advertising and billing, arranged for sale of tickets and came back to put on the show. His lighting plant attracted attention everywhere he went.
Mr. Barnsdale had many feature pictures. Among them the San Francisco earthquake and fire; the Sino-Russian War; logging with elephants in India; whale fishing; Hagenbeck’s zoo at Hamburg Germany; the zoo at London; films of the British navy during the first World war, and the American fleets. There were also travel films, drama, and comedy pictures. He had many films in color which compared favorably with later films. He showed the Life of Buffalo Bill and The Passion Play in color.
Traveled 20 Years
The Plover man traveled for 20 years, at first by train and then by car. At one time he had an investment of ,000 in films. He destroyed many of them when they became outdated. He often hired a piano player to add to the entertainment. As he operated his movie machine, he made appropriate accompanying explanations. Prices ranged from 10 to 25 and 30 cents, with reserved seats a dime extra.
In 1914 Mr. Barnsdale undertook the making of motion pictures and won praise for the clearness of his films, which he finished in his own laboratory. He sold some of them to newsreel concerns. He traveled for years under the dramatic name of “Barnsdale’s Vivorama.”
Never Sought Patents
Mr. Barnsdale never sought patent rights on his inventions and improvements. He believed it would be useless as well as expensive because of patent scandals in those days.
Changing times finally brought an end to Barnsdale’s Vivorama. Bigger theaters had their own machines and leased the pictures. Small towns lacked the fire prevention equipment that the state required. He traveled with the Hagenbeck Wallace circus and Ringling Brothers circus for a while doing mechanical work and also making pictures.
Then he turned to his trade of machinist and was employed for 20 years by the Whiting Plover Paper Company until his retirement in June, 1945.
EDITORIAL PRINTED MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1951
Walter Barnsdale
In the death of Walter Barnsdale of Plover, whose funeral was held today, Portage County has lost one of its most colorful older citizens. Mr. Barnsdale was a true pioneer in the motion Picture industry. Although he never won national acclaim, he contributed importantly to a then budding business through a number of inventions and improvements.
This Plover veteran turned his talents to a field that was entirely new. He diligently applied his scientific knowledge to improving the mechanics of motion pictures. The “flickers” of those days, at the turn of the century, were crude by present day standards. Hollywood was still in its infancy. Mr. Barnsdale was undismayed by the problems and the setbacks in his chosen career. He put the first silent movies into many towns of Wisconsin and had the satisfaction of bringing a new form of entertainment to thousands of people.
In Retirement in recent years, Mr. Barnsdale could look back over a long life filled with many interesting experiences – far more than are encountered by the average individual. He had the satisfaction of knowing he had made contributions that were far-reaching, as some of his inventions were adopted by the motion picture industry in the ensuing years.
Portage County historians should not forget the life and the accomplishments of this veteran. He had a vision, skill and foresight and a burning desire to engineer improvements at a time when facilities were lacking. When another history of our county is written, he should have an appropriate place in its pages
.
Buying this Documentary poster is ECONOMY PROOF!
Why waste your money in the stock market? It can crash regardless of any decision you make and can even crash regardless of any decision made by the company related to the stock - Leaving you with a near worthless piece of paper that won't inspire anyone! With the purchase of an historic document such as this early 1903 treasure, it doesn't matter what happens to the economy, you'll still have the poster, which can be displayed and enjoyed. The magnificence of art and historic documents have an inherent value that relates to civilization and society. Unless civilization itself crashes then this piece will hold its value, and, if civilization itself crashes - Who'll care about money? This artifact is definitely
ECONOMY PROOF!
MRS.MINIVER WILL ACCEPT
TIME PAYMENTS
FOR MOST ITEMS LISTED
☆
Please write with any questions. If you're in the market for top quality  original vintage movie posters or Star Wars, then please
click here