Volume One of the Cinematography Annual – the nearly 600-page forerunner of the American Cinematographer Manual – was published in 1930 and featured an amazing amount of technical and artistic information, much of which is still relevant today.
As an altruistic endeavor entirely composed by ASC members and their associates, it was also a commercial enterprise that required funding by the same crowd. Evidence of that can be found in the backend of the book where a variety of ads appear. It would be a bit tasteless for a cinematographer to promote themselves so openly today, but the world was a different place ninety-six years ago. From the expression of each cameraman, it was a lot more dignified, too.
Look closely at these early members of the ASC! They could just as easily have been the stars of their own movies rather than the men committing the actors to celluloid.
Stand by…there’s plenty more to come!
