– Montclair Public Library’s National Historic Landmark Andrew Carnegie Bellevue Avenue Library is celebrating a century of service with a year of entertaining and educational community events, including concerts, lectures, festivities and fundraisers, which are designed to encourage library visitation, build awareness of services and help engage new library audiences.
A series of “salon evening” fundraisers will take audiences back in time to the exceptional era of Andrew Carnegie which characterized the creation of Montclair’s Bellevue Avenue Library, as noted artists, historians, archivists, musicians, authors and scholars present informative and enjoyable overviews of art, culture, architecture, music, literature, films and personalities of 1914.
“Centennial Cinema: The Films Of 1914” | Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Silent films and music that goes with them will be brought back to life and given historical context as award-winning film scholar Cordelia Siporin presents an overview of film in 1914 by screening selected scenes from period movies, examining popular genres of the era, and discussing cinematic milestones, including Charlie Chaplin’s film debut. “Bellevue Avenue Library opened its doors in the age of silent film, which was America’s first modern entertainment industry” said Siporin. “Times have changed, but people haven’t. These films and their universal themes have not lost the power to entertain even today’s sophisticated audiences.”
The evolution of film, starting with the advent of motion pictures in the 1890's, the progression from carnival attractions to coin- slot-crank machines, and into theaters by 1914, will be illustrated and recreated with photos and rare movie stills. Scenes from period film genres will be shown with live keyboard musical accompaniment by Jonathan McDevitt. Clips include Winsor McCay's animated short “Gertie the Dinosaur,” a sampling of Charlie Chaplin comedies, and serialized action-adventures like “The Hazards of Helen” and “The Perils of Pauline,” which were meant to appeal to a growing female audience during the Industrial Revolution, when for first time in Western history, women were earning and spending their own disposable income.
The significance of Charlie Chaplin's 1914 film debut and the audience’s response to it will be examined, along with other aspects of film culture that relate to the development of the cinema as an artistic, social and industrial medium. The audience will also have an opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with local film enthusiasts and scholars John Skillin and Reverend Paul Leggett.
Montclair resident Cordelia Siporin is a founding member of Friends of Bellevue Avenue Library, holds a Master of Arts degree in Cinema Studies from New York University, and is a recipient of NYU's William K. Everson Award for Academic Excellence. Specializing in early cinema history, she has taught “Introduction to Silent Film,” and lectured at the Adult School of Montclair.
FBAL is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Montclair's landmark Andrew Carnegie Bellevue Avenue Library. FBAL works with Montclair Public Library’s Director, Trustees, and Foundation to enhance the library’s mission by promoting public awareness, building community support, producing programs, recruiting volunteers and raising funds to ensure that BAL remains a cultural cornerstone and educational asset for Montclair and all who love libraries.
WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: TICKETS:
FBAL Salon Evening Fundraiser – “Centennial Cinema: The Films Of 1914” Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:00 – 9:00 PM Bellevue Avenue Library, 185 Bellevue Avenue, Corner of Bellevue and Norwood $20. Purchase by phone (973-744-0500 Ext. 2222), or online www.montclairplf.org Seating is limited. Reservations are recommended. All proceeds will benefit MPL.
