Research Center

Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc.
Research Center

This page provides resources for scholars and researchers interested in exploring in greater depth the history of the Thanhouser film enterprise, biographies of important Thanhouser executive, actors and actresses, modern academic research papers, articles about Q. David Bower's pioneering research Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, and links to other relevant sites relevant to early film history. This is a new feature of the Thanhouser web site, please send us your feedback and suggestions on this page by using the Contact Us link. Thanks!

A Brief History of the Thanhouser Film Enterprise
- Founded (1909)
- The Early Years (1909 to 1911)
- Worldwide Recognitions (1912)
- When the Studio Burned (1913)
- Management Changes (1913 to 1915)
- End of an Era (1916 to 1917)
On the Radio: Interviews from the 100th Anniversary Celebrations in 2009
NPR-All Things Considered: From The Vaults, A Look At Early Indie-Movie History
WNYC-Leonard Lopate Show: The Thanhouser Company at 100
Online Research Resources
- NEW: Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History by Q. David Bowers
Online version of the complete history of the Thanhouser studio from 1909 to 1918, complete with
   over 3,000 articles including filmography entries on 1,086 films, links to 56 full-length films available
   for immediate viewing online, and over 1,000 biography entries on actors, actresses, directors,
   cameramen, executives, technicians, and much more!
- Access biographies and pictures for 25 of the most important Thanhouser
   personalities
- Download Thanhouser Film Database Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with details on
   223 (as of 4/2/2011) known surviving films and archives where they are located.
- Download Thanhouser Filmography with titles and release dates for over 1,000
   produced by Thanhouser.
- Download Thanhouser Personalities with the names of over 1,000 employees
   who worked at the Thanhouser film enterprise between 1909 and 1918.
- Thanhouser Filmography Analysis Microsoft Excel database with listings of the
   1,086 films identified by brand, production company, type, character, date of release,
   and number of reels. Perfect for researchers characterizing the nature of Thanhouser
   production practices from 1910 thru 1917.
Modern Academic Research on Thanhouser
- NEW: From Stage to Screen: Edwin Thanhouser's Rise to Fame and Fortune in Early
Cinema by Ned Thanhouser (Presented at SCMS 2013)
- Reconstructing Thanhouser: The Twenty-Five Year Journey of a Citizen Archivist
       by Ned Thanhouser, The Moving Image (University of Minnesota Press, 2011)
- The Social Impact of Thanhouser's 1912 The Cry of the Children
       by Ned Thanhouser (2003, revised 2011)
-   Watch the 11 minute documentary film on The Cry of the Children
       by Ned Thanhouser (2003)
- STARTS THURSDAY! The Art and History of Motion Picture Coming
      Attractions Slides - Thanhouser: Special Feature by Ned Thanhouser (2011)
- Narration and Authorship in the Transitional Text: Griffith, Thanhouser, and
      Typicality by Charlie Keil (2010)
- Beyond Simple Stereotypes: Black Representations in Thanhouser Films
       by John Baker Brown Jr. (2009)
- Free for the Taking? DVD Access to Silent Films in the Public Domain
      by Joe Gardner (2009)
- Thanhouser: A Microcosm of the Transitional Era in Silent Film
      by Ned Thanhouser (2009)
- Thanhouser: A Microcosm of the Transitional Era in Silent Film (Power Point)
      by Ned Thanhouser (presented at the SW Texas Popular Culture Association
      conference February 26, 2009, 11.5MB)
- Four Cinema Versions of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
     by Young-joon Cho (2006)
- NOBODY LOVES A FAT WOMAN: Portrayals of Female Obesity in Early
   American Cinema by Joseph Kerr (2006)
- The Rise and Fall of Thanhouser and the Silent Drug Film Genre: A Case Study
      by Curt Hersey (2006)
- The Thanhouser Studio and the Department Store: One Studio’s Look at
      the Changing Dynamics of Women in the Public Sphere
      by Stacy Schmitt (2006)
- A Happy Medium: Women’s Suffrage Portrayals in Thanhouser Films, 1910-16
      by Eric Dewberry (2006)
- Rediscovering Thanhouser: New Digital Assets for Cinema Media Studies
     by Ned Thanhouser (2005)
- Gertrude Homan Thanhouser - Pioneering Studio Executive 1909-1918
      by Ned Thanhouser (2005)
- Gertrude Homan Thanhouser - Chronological Biography (1882 - 1951)
      by Ned Thanhouser (2005)
- Gertrude Homan Thanhouser - Image Gallery
- The Construction of Educational Value in Thanhouser Silent Film
     by RuAnn Kieth (2004)
- Acting for the Camera: Dramatic Styles in Thanhouser Studio Films
      by Frances Pici (2003)
- Lloyd Lonergan and the Development of Film Scripts at the Thanhouser Studio
       by Lindsay Harris (2004)
- Notes on Thanhouser's The Evidence of the Film
       by Harper Cossar (2004)
- The Influence of D.W. Griffith on Thanhouser’s 1913 Release: The Evidence of
   the Film
       by Ned Thanhouser (2003)
- The Evidence of the Film Shot Analysis
       by Ned Thanhouser (2003)
Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History CD-ROM
by Q. David Bowers
- Online Access to Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History V2.0
- Overview of the CD-ROM designed academic research with over 3,000 articles
- Background on the development of the CD-ROM and its significance for research
- Read a review of the CD-ROM by Paul Holbrook (2004)
- Read a review of the CD-ROM by Kathryn Helgesen Fuller (1999)
Silent Film Research Sites
- The Silent Era (Carl Bennett)
- Early Cinema
- Jeanne Eagels (Philip Ituarte)
- The Silent Film Bookshelf (David Pierce)
- Silent Film Sources (David Pierce)
- Silent Movies (Glen Pringle)
- Film History and Resources (Buckey Grimm)
- Digital History (University of Houston)
- Film History and Criticism (UC Berkeley)
- Bright Lights Film Journal (Gary Morris)
- alt.movies.silent FAQ (Newsgroup)
- Internet Movie Database
- For many more more links, Google "silent film history"