Finding Aid for the Albert E. Smith Papers, 1897-1933
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 1997
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid for the Albert E. Smith Papers, 1897-1933
Collection number: 2004
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Los Angeles, CA
Contact Information
- Manuscripts Division
- UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
- Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
- Box 951575
- Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
- Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific
Time)
- Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
- URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
- Processed by:
- Manuscripts Division staff, 1997
- Encoded by:
- Caroline Cubé
- Online finding aid edited by:
- Josh Fiala, November 2002
© 1997 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Albert E. Smith Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1897-1933
Collection number: 2004
Creator:
Smith, Albert E.
Extent: 15 boxes (7.5 linear ft.)
6 oversize boxes
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Abstract: Albert E. Smith (1875-1958) co-founded the Vitagraph Company of America as the Reader, Smith, and Blackton Combination in
1894. He invented the Vitagraph, one of the first successful motion picture projectors, in 1896. The collection consists of
correspondence, scrapbooks, albums, photographs, auditor's reports, and trade agreements pertaining to the business of the
Vitagraph Company of America, of which Smith was co-founder.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including
copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds
the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.
Additional Physical Form Available
A copy of the original version of this online finding aid is available at the UCLA Department of Special Collections for in-house
consultation and may be obtained for a fee. Please contact:
- Public Services Division
- UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
- Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
- Box 951575
- Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
- Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific
Time)
- Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Lucile Smith, 1959.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Albert E. Smith Papers (Collection 2004). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Biography
Smith was born in 1875 in Faversham, England; co-founded the Vitagraph Company of America as the Reader, Smith, and Blackton
Combination in 1894; Vitagraph producer, writer, and executive with actor and director J. Stuart Blackton until sale of the
company to Warner Brothers in 1925; invented the Vitagraph, one of the first successful motion picture projectors, in 1896;
had a wife, Lucile, and 6 children; died August 1, 1958 in Los Angeles.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of correspondence, scrapbooks, albums, photographs, auditor's reports, and trade agreements pertaining
to the business of the Vitagraph Company of America, of which Smith was co-founder. Runs of ephemeral publications, Vitagraph
releases (1916-1920) and six bound volumes of the
Vitagraph Bulletin (1906-1916) complete the Vitagraph documentation. There are 17 reels of audiotapes recorded by Smith on the subject of motion
picture history, as well as a copy of his autobiography.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Collection arranged chronologically.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Smith, Albert E.--Archives.
Blackton, James Stuart, 1875-1941.
Vitagraph Company of America--Archives.
Motion picture producers and directors--United States--Archival resources.
Motion picture industry--History--Archival resources.
Audiotapes.
Scrapbooks.
Photographs.
Vitagraph Company of America.
Vitagraph bulletin.
Vitagraph releases.
Container List
Box 1
Early beginnings. 1897-1904.
Physical Description: 291pp.
Scope and Content Note
Newspaper clippings, documents, early film catalogs (1901-1904), folder of notes for book and typescript manuscripts of history
of Vitagraph Company by Albert E. Smith.
Box 2
1908-1916.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, ephemera and clippings, auditor's reports, stock certificates, agreements (bound volume)
re ownership of Vitagraph Company and By-Laws of Smith-Blackton Company, 1916.
Box 3
Vitagraph Bulletins. 1909-1916.
Physical Description: Six bound volumes.
Box 4
1916.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, contracts, auditor's statements.
The Big Four Family, publication of Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, Essanay, Incorporated. Bound (vol.1-4).
Box 5
1915-1918.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, legal documents;
Vitagraph Releases. 1916-1917 (two bound volumes).
Vitagraph family, vol.9-12. June 1917-June 1918 (bound).
Box 6
1917-1920.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, legal documents, auditor's reports.
Vitagraph Releases. 1918, 1919 (two bound volumes).
Shadowland, the magazine of magazines. (M.P. Publishing Company, New York). vol.1 no.1. September 1919.
Box 7
1920-1922.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, contracts and agreements, copies of legal briefs involving Vitagraph Company, auditor's reports. Typescript
of Releases
1920 (bound) containing synopses and credits.
Box 8
1923-1924.
Scope and Content Note
Legal documents, correspondence.
Box 9
1924-1929.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, publicity releases.
Box 10
1925-1956.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, ephemera, photographs, auditor's report 1917.
Two reels and a crank. Autographed copy of book.
Box 11
Notebooks containing story ideas. Reports on individual theatres. 1920. Legal contracts. 1924.
Box 13
Scrapbook of clippings on the death of John Bunny. 1915.
Box 13
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings. 1914.
Box 13
Miscellaneous motion-picture publications.
Box 14
History of Vitagraph Company.
Physical Description: 17 reels tape.
Box 16
Photograph album. Stills from Vitagraph productions of O'Henry stories.
Box 16
Photograph album. Jean Paige - stills from Vitagraph productions.
Box 20
Scrapbook. 1925.
Scope and Content Note
Newspaper clippings covering Vitagraph's break with Hays Office (MPPDA).
Box 20
Scrapbook. Clippings. 1923-1933.
Box 21
Panoramic photograph of Vitagraph personnel. 1910.
Note
Missing, January 1990.
