Origins of American Animation

The US Library of Congress has a web section ( http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/oahtml/oahom... ) devoted to the development of early American animation. The online collection is represented by 21 animated films and 2 fragments, which spans the years 1900 to 1921.

The films include clay, puppet, and cut-out animation, as well as pen drawings. They point to a connection between newspaper comic strips and early animated films, as represented by Keeping Up With the Joneses, Krazy Kat, and The Katzenjammer Kids. As well as showing the development of animation, these films also reveal the social attitudes of early twentieth-century America.

The films are at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/oahtml/oachr... The list of titles, in chronological order, is:

1900

The Enchanted Drawing (© November 16, 1900, Thomas A. Edison)

1902

Fun in a Bakery Shop (© April 3, 1902, Thomas A. Edison)

1906

Humourous Phases of Funny Faces (© April 6, 1906, The Vitagraph Co. of America)

1915

[Men's Styles] from Keeping Up with the Joneses (1915, Gaumont)

[Women's Styles] from Keeping Up with the Joneses (1915, Gaumont)

He Resolves Not to Smoke from Dreamy Dud Series (© June 22, 1915, Essanay Mfg. Co.)

1916

The Phable of a Busted Romance (© January 7, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

The Phable of the Phat Woman (© January 18, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Mr. Nobody Holme--He Buys a Jitney (© February 1, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Never Again! The Story of a Speeder Cop (© February 4, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing from Krazy Kat Series (© February 29, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Krazy Kat--Bugologist from Krazy Kat Series (© March 14, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the Circus from Krazy Kat Series (© March 17, 1916, International Film Service, Inc.)

Bobby Bumps Starts a Lodge (© September 21, 1916, Bray Studios, Inc.)

1917

Mary & Gretel from Motoy Films Series (1917, Toyland Films)

The Dinosaur and the Missing Link, A Prehistoric Tragedy (© March 24, 1917, Thomas A. Edison, Inc.)

1918

Policy and Pie from Original Katzenjammer Kids Series (1918, International Film Service, Inc.)

W.S.S. Thriftettes (ca. 1918, BDF Films)

1919

AWOL--All Wrong Old Laddiebuck (ca. 1919, American Motion Picture Co.)

Dud Leaves Home from Us Fellers Series (© October 9, 1919, Bray Studios, Inc.)

1921

The Centaurs [fragment] (1921, Rialto Productions)

The First Circus from Tony Sarg's Almanac (1921, Herbert M. Dawley)

Gertie on Tour [fragment] (1921, Rialto Productions)

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