[externally scuffed and shelfworn, short diagonal crease at bottom corner of rear cover, remainder stripes on top and bottom edges of text block; internally clean, binding solid]. Trade PB (B&W photographs) A pioneering and indispensible work of early film history. The author brought a professional historian's discipline and reliance on original sources to a field which prior to that time had consisted almost entirely of anecdotal histories and self-serving memoirs, riddled with distortions and inaccuracies which went unchallenged, and yet were woven into the fabric of future histories of the early cinema. Hendricks wrote of "the morass of well-embroidered legend with which the beginning of the American film is permeated," and proceeded to take on the biggest and most persistent legend of all, that the movies had been "invented" by Thomas Edison. Although he bent over backwards to avoid appearing "anti-Edison," his methodical sifting and analysis of the evidence (much of it to be found in Edison's own archives) couldn't evade the truth, and established beyond question that Edison himself was virtually uninvolved in the actual work of "inventing" the movies, which was mostly performed either by W.K.L. Dickson of his own staff, or by others toiling outside the Edison orbit. But the power of the myth is strong, and today it's still believed by the general public (to the extent that they think about such things) that "Edison invented the movies." This book will inform you otherwise -- but of course it's been long out of print, as are his two equally valuable follow-ups, "Beginnings of the Biograph" (1964) and "The Kinetoscope" (1966).

Seller Inventory # 26708

Contact seller

Report this item

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Edison Motion Picture Myth
Publisher: University of California Press, Berkeley/Los Angeles
Publication Date: 1961
Binding: Softcover
Edition: First Edition.
Condition: Very Good-

Store Description

Welcome to ReadInk (pronounced like "Dead Ink"), now in its 27th year of putting interesting books into the hands of interested people. Our watchwords here are: * Availability. Every book listed for sale is in my possession and available for purchase; every image posted is a picture of the actual book on offer. * Service. Although I occasionally adopt the so-called "royal We," in fact ReadInk is just Me -- I handle everything from one end of the pipeline to the other: buying, cataloging, customer service, shipping, you name it. Nothing automated here -- just prompt, personal attention to every order. * Accurate Description. I use standard book-grading terminology -- Good, Very Good, Fine (with various +/- gradations as appropriate) -- and try to avoid both excessive jargon and obsessive amounts of detail. "Fine" is my highest grade, and a book has to be darn near perfect to earn it; even the smallest flaw or blemish will knock the grade down to "Near Fine.? I strive to present a faithful impression of a book?s condition and appearance; significant flaws such as remainder marks, previous owner's names, tears in the dust jacket, etc. are always noted, or if too numerous are reasonably summarized. * Information. Whenever practical, I try to include some information about a book's content in my listing, even if only a carefully chosen quotation from the dust jacket copy. This may sound like a small thing, but take a look sometime and you'll see how amazingly few sellers bother with this. On the occasions I let this slide, it's generally because the book is a common one, or because the title itself is sufficiently descriptive. * Care for the Book. I package all books with great care, to ensure they will withstand the rigors of the U.S. Postal System, and will reach their new owners in the same condition as advertised. My specific packaging techniques vary according to the needs of the book itself, but either a sturdy box or an unbendable package is always involved. (No bubble envelopes, ever, unless the contents are thoroughly protected within.) That?s all there is to ReadInk: just a guy who has loved books all my life (perhaps to excess) and entered the trade in my "middle years" to see what I could make of it. And I'm still finding out. My inventory appears here on AbeBooks and on my own website ? www.readinkbooks.com. Come on in! Howard Prouty, prop.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Association Member

Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

ReadInk, ABAA/IOBA
CA, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

All orders will be processed promptly and shipped within 48 hours, barring unforeseen circumstances. We grade our books conservatively (Fine being our highest grade, used only for books with no discernible flaws) and package them liberally: most hardcover books are sent in boxes, securely wrapped and cushioned, and with the dust jacket (if present) protected by a new mylar cover. We provide a concise, accurate description of the condition of every book (and a scanned image of the actual book on ...

More Information

Shipping Terms

We offer free Media Mail shipping for all domestic (U.S.) orders, and endeavor to keep our Priority Mail rates as reasonable as possible. International shipping in most instances will be via USPS First Class International mail, at the posted rates. Only on rare occasions do we request additional shipping charges, when warranted by the weight or value of the book. Our first priority always is TOP-QUALITY PACKAGING, for MAXIMUM PROTECTION of your book, and we will never compromise on this point.

Payment Methods

Check Money Order

Add to Wants