Scope and Content Note
Series of movies produced in 1923 and 1924 by the Yale University Press Film Service for showing in "schools, colleges, and universities for educational use, and to churches, community centers, clubs, and similar organizations for purposes of entertainment..." Based upon the series of fifty books published by Yale, the series was projected to be one hundred reels of motion pictures "reproducing with historical accuracy striking events in the annals of the United States from the voyage of Columbus to Appomattox." In reality, only 15 episodes, totalling 47 reels, were produced. The first episode was Columbus, released on Oct. 7, 1923.
It was the first series of educational films to be produced through the auspices of one of the best-known universities. The films were produced by professional motion picture production companies and featured professional actors and actresses in the U.S. and photographed on location in some programs.
The original intention was a program of 30 photoplays released on a total of 100 reels (3 reels for each of the first 25 plays, and 5 reels each for the remaining five plays). The plays were to be organzed thematically according to the following scheme.
- I. The Morning of America, 7 plays in 21 reels
- II. The Winning of Independence, 3 plays in 9 reels
- III. The Young Republic, 2 plays in 6 reels
- IV. The Vision of the West, 8 plays in 24 reels
- V. The Storm of Secession, 5 plays in 15 reels
- VI. The Age of Power, 5 plays in 25 reels
Perhaps the most significant items included in the collection are the photocopies of minutely accurate historical costume drawings by Harry A. Ogden (for the motion pictures, produced and not produced). This invaluable, unique Ogden material has never before been seen publicly nor made available for research by the motion picture industry.
Materials for some of the unproduced photoplays can be found under Series II and III of this finding aid.