Silent Films on Nitrate

Several years ago I was asked to research a bunch of dusty film reels that had been discovered in the loft of an old barn. It turned out to be a collection of original 35mm theatrical releases from the 1920s on nitrate film. If you aren’t familiar with nitrate film (aka nitrocellulose or guncotton) I can tell you that it is a highly flammable material known to sometimes spontaneously combust. When it burns it erupts like a jet engine and will continue to burn even if submerged below water. This dangerous material was responsible for numerous deadly cinema and factory fires during the first half of the 20^th century. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that the film base was replaced with acetate or “safety film.” In addition to these accidental fires old films were also purposely destroyed as they were considered worthless. It is estimated that 75% or more of the films produced during the silent era are now lost forever.

The condition of these films was quite poor, due to deterioration from improper storage, and the contents of the footage was completely unknown. After unwinding the reels to examine the opening frames I was able, based on the actors and the subtitled dialogue, to determine the names of many of the productions. The most interesting film was titled The Naulahka (Pathe-Astra, 1918). It was based on a story by Rudyard Kipling and featured an actress named Doraldina, the first performer to be billed as an “exotic dancer.” With help from the archive department at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences we were able to confirm that the title did exist at the academy archive and at the Lobster Films archive in Paris. Although in the end we didn’t discover a long lost film title we were able to facilitate an option to donate the film to the archive for a tax write-off where it could be further studied and stored in a proper environment.

Paris Opera Costume Sketches – 19th Century

A collection of more than 40 original hand painted watercolor and gouache on paper costume illustrations, circa mid-nineteenth century, created chiefly by Paris Opera costume designer Alfred Albert. The costumes depicted are primarily from the Goignard brothers production of “La Biche au Bois,” which was a popular French fairy tale (or feerie) involving mystical realms, including an underwater kingdom populated with anthropomorphic sea creatures. The collection is housed in a typical late 19th century era scrapbook album and unfortunately suffers from severe foxing and discoloration due to acid and other impurities in the papers and chemical reactions with the glue used to secure the sheets to the scrapbook.

La Africana – 19th Century Cigarette Cards

Some interesting cigarette cards I bought while traveling through Arequipa, Peru. These risqué images were offered in packs of La Africana cigarillos by the Vaccaro Company of Peru as a way of luring potential customers into buying more. Tobacco cards were first produced as premiums in the mid-nineteenth century and continued to grow in popularity until World War I. These particular images, printed circa 1900, are scandalous compared to the more common cigarette cards of the day which usually featured mundane subjects such as ships, birds, flags of the world, and military uniforms.

Janis Joplin – 1967 Lost Recording

I’ve been extremely lucky in the number of lost or previously unreleased recordings that I’ve discovered over the years. This one came from a consignor who bought the recording as part of a large collection of material from the manager of Janis Joplin’s band, Big Brother and The Holding Company. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was but after listening to it and researching various clues written on the label it didn’t take long to figure out that the quarter-inch magnetic tape reel contained a live performance by Joplin and Big Brother at the University of California Medical Center on March 4, 1967. The concert, which also featured The Steve Miller Blues Band, was billed as “Journey to The End of Night – A Benefit for Peace.” The amateur recording included Joplin’s famous rendition of the Big Mama Thornton song “Ball and Chain,” which, apart from a less developed example produced at a live performance in 1966, is the earliest known live version to exist. This recording, made a few months prior to the release of the Band’s first album and before their historic performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, provides an amazing window into the group’s pre-fame sound. The tracks included: Intruder; Light Is Faster Than Sound; Bye, Bye Baby; Coo Coo; I’m Mad (Mad Man Blues); All Is Loneliness; Catch Me Daddy (I’m Coming Home); Blindman; Women Is Losers; Ball and Chain; and Amazing Grace, along with several psychedelic jam tracks. Posters from the event still survive and one example is shown above. The recording was expected to sell between $2,000 and $3,000 but was unfortunately pulled from the sale due to legal claims made by surviving members of the band.    

Les Diableries – 3D Visions of Hell from The 19th Century

With Halloween coming up I was reminded of a series of devilish photographs that I researched and wrote about years ago called Les Diableries. They were created in France in the mid-19^th century and they depict various scenes of life in Hell. Not only that but these images are “stereoscopic” meaning when you look at them with special lenses they appear in 3D! I got to be one of the first people to publish a modern detailed history of these images and the artists who created them, and I also wrote the Wikipedia entry for them. A couple of years after my publication another group of researchers, including Brian May (astrophysicist and lead guitarist for the rock band Queen), published their own book on the series.

Les Diableries: 3D Visions of Hell – A History

What Happened to Superman’s Cape? – Esquire UK Magazine Article

I was lucky enough to play a small role in the ongoing saga of the original Superman Cape worn by Christopher Reeve in the iconic 1978 film. It sold for nearly $200,000 – and I got mentioned in Esquire Magazine’s article about it!

What Happened to Superman’s Cape? – Esquire Magazine

Charlie Johnson “Mo’Lasses” – 1929 Unreleased Jazz Record

Mitchell Media Appraisals · Charlie Johnson, “Mo’Lasses” – 1929

Publisher: Victor Talking Machine Company

Publication Year: 1929

Catalog Number: BVE-53600 (matrix number)

Format: 10-inch 78rpm (test pressing record)

I’ve discovered a lot of amazing and rare recordings in thrift stores over the years but this is one the coolest. This is a unique recording of “Mo’Lasses” by Charlie Johnson & His Orchestra – the only example known to exist. Charlie Johnson lead several different band incarnations during the 1920s, including Charlie Johnson & His Orchestra, Jackson & His Southern Stompers, and Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten. The name of the last ensemble refers to Johnson’s employment as the house band at Small’s Paradise Club, located in Harlem on 135th. At the time Small’s was a rival of the famous Cotton Club and is said to have had waitresses who brought trays of bootleg liquor to your table while dancing the Charleston. According to the Victor Discography this recording was destroyed and never released. After posting a digitized version of the audio recording online I was contacted by the leader of a jazz band called The Ghost Train Orchestra who asked if they could recreate a modern version of the song, which they did and can be found on their album Hot Town.

The hand-engraved information begins with the matrix number: BVE-53600. BVE is a Victor code designating it as a 10-inch disc electrically recorded using a Western Electric recording head. This is followed by the date: 5/8/29. A set of numbers appears next: 269 650-239. To the left of this set of numbers is what appears to be a number 1, possibly indicting it as the first take. The title and band name appear subsequently, followed by a set of numbers which designate the amplifier, filter, and level settings used during the recording: +8-H-8-O. Below this is the designation “USF” and then “Colored”. USF stands for United States Foreign, and it is not clear why exactly this designation was used. “Colored” clearly indicates that the recording was of African American artists, though the term “Race” was more often used by this date.

Andy Warhol – 1945 High School Diploma

Sold for $8,960 at Julien’s Auctions