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Revision as of 18:32, 24 December 2024 by Rosiestep (talk | contribs) (Expanding article)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Bureau of Commercial Economics (BCE) was an American non-profit, non-governmental film distribution organization. Established in 1913, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., its object was the lending of educational and industrial moving picture films for free display. The film library was one of the biggest of the kind in its day, and the only one that was international.
BCE provided pictures for millions of people who had never heard of motion pictures, and to some who didn't know there were such things as photographs. It was an international free circulating library for helpful and worthwhile motion pictures. It competed with no one, earned no profits, and, kept out of every field that was covered by others. Most of its work was carried on through others, as with the extension departments of state universities and other colleges. The only condition attached to supplying pictures for distribution anywhere was that no charge.
Founder
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Francis Holley was an engineer by profession, and for many years was a railroad builder, being at one time chief engineer for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Because of excessive use of his eyes at night in the poor light of railroad construction camps, he lost his sight, and for eighteen years, searched for a cure. After his sight was regained and, in gratitude for this, Holley decided to devote the remainder of his life to broadening the views of others and enabling them to see and appreciate the wonders of the world, even though they may never travel far from their homes.
A self-educated man, whose only schooling was a winter's attendance at night school in New York, Holley held an honorary college degree, and later in life, served on the faculty of the American University, in Washington, D.C., where he filled the chair of visual education.
History
After Holley regained his vision, his work materialized into the BCE in 1913. At first, Holley maintained the work at his own expense. Its growth made it necessary for him to give others the opportunity to participate in the philanthropic work. The work of the Bureau was perpetuated through the election of its directing officers by an advisory council composed of college presidents and men in science and letters. Anita Maris Boggs served as director.
The Bureau was maintained through contributions and annuities. Contributions were invariably voluntary, and no one was authorized to solicit the same or in any way whatsoever to sell the circulation of the Bureau. No film was shown for a money consideration under any circumstances, nor was preference given a film or a subject on account of a contribution. Contributions were received and acceptable only to an amount sufficient to cover transportation charges, insurance and upkeep of the films, and the incidental expenses of administration, as the Bureau was not operated for profit and had no capital stock.
Twenty-nine governments cooperated with this private bureau in distributing the films. The bureau was unofficial for the reason that to be officially a part of any government would preclude the possibility of carrying on its work in foreign countries or displaying foreign films locally. It was, however, affiliated with educational institutions, thus facilitating a general movement in universal public instruction.
For large audiences, the Bureau provided, without expense, special lecturers.
Miscellaneous publications were issued from time to time.
Objectives
The purpose of the BCE was the promotion of international amity and the free dissemination of information by means of educational films, lectures, and printed matter of a strictly educational nature to all parts of the world. Membership was open to individuals, universities, organizations of established credit, and governments.
It was an association of the governments, institutions, manufacturers, producers, transportation lines and individuals of the United States and foreign countries, to engage in disseminating geographical, commercial, industrial, vocational welfare and public health information by the graphic method of motography. The requirements were: payment of transportation charges, use of standard motion picture projectors by competent operators, reports of films used and attendance after each performance, immediate return of films used, and no admission fee to be charged. The BCE cooperated with schools and public officials throughout the U.S.
They were available, however, only when admittance to the public was free.
Library
Films were contributed by cooperating Governments, motion-picture people, philanthropic organizations, industrial associations, and manufacturers, as well as by anyone who had a picture they wanted to see given wide circulation. The only condition attached to the acceptance and distribution of a picture was that it be truthful, and educational or helpful. By 1921, the BCE owned between 30,000,000–40,000,000 feet (9,100,000–12,200,000 m) of picture film.
The bureau would not accept any film of any industry where due consideration was not clearly shown to the employees or where children were employed under oppressive or inappropriate conditions.Nor would the bureau show a film of the production of foodstuffs where the pure-food laws were not complied with strictly. It also did not display any film dealing with the production of intoxicants of any nature or with the making of any products of tobacco.
The BCE engaged in disseminating geographical, commercial, industrial and vocational information by the graphic method of motography, showing how things in common use were made or produced, and under what conditions. Its aim was to show through the films the production of articles in common use, to reveal the sources of supply, and to follow the raw material to the finished product. In addition to the industrial and scientific films which the bureau circulated, it had a series of travelogues on all the national parks and on the scenery of the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and Egypt. It also circulated films of the U.S. Government and of the Governments of the Dominions of the U.K., France, and Argentina.
Service areas
Through its agencies, Holley and his associates claimed, more than 60,000,000 persons in all parts of the world annually viewed motion pictures that they would probably never have seen otherwise.
The service of the Bureau was available in Canada, Latin American Republics, India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with titles and sub-titles of all films in the language of the countries addressed.
The Bureau displayed its reels and slides in universities, colleges, technical and agricultural schools, public libraries, state armories, high schools, people's institutes, public institutions, state granges, settlement houses, missions, chambers of commerce, boards of trade, commercial clubs, rotary clubs, trade conventions, welfare forums of corporations, fraternal organizations; also with powerful projectors, operated from auto trucks, in parks, playgrounds, rural communities and other centers for the general public.
From its library, with distributing stations in many places, the films were sent to places as remote as Spitzbergen and the interior of Siberia where its pictures were shown on river boats, with sails for screens.
References
- ^ Sullivan, Mark, ed. (27 January 1917). "Collier's Washington Bureau, Free MOvies". Collier's. P.F. Collier: 34. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Ulm, Aaron Hardy (October 1921). "Once Blind, He Now Helps Others to See". American Magazine. 92 (4). Colver Publishing House: 55. Retrieved 24 December 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Bureau of Commercial Economics (1915). Department of Public Instruction. Ferris & Leach. Retrieved 24 December 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Reed, Alfred Zantzinger; Windes, Eustace Evan; Ganders, Harry Stanley; Waite, Mary G.; National Committee on Research in Secondary Education (U.S.); Shelby, Thomas Hall; United States Bureau of Education Library Division; United States Office of Education; Greenleaf, Walter James (1926). Improvement of Instruction in Rural Schools Through Professional Supervision: Abstracts of Addresses Delivered at the First Conference of Supervisors of the Southeastern States, Held at Nashville, Tenn., December 14 and 15, 1925. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 22. Retrieved 24 December 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "Agencies Interested in the Educational Film". Municipal Reference Library Notes. 4. Municipal Reference Library, Branch of the New York Public Library: 339. 26 June 1918. Retrieved 24 December 2024.