Film History on the Internet
In The Beginning...
La Lanterna Magica. Magic Lanterns, ancestors of early film. In Italian.
The Projection Box. British site devoted to origins of very early cinema.
Cinema des origines. Early French cinema site, in English and French.
One hundred years of film sizes. Interesting examples of early film gauges.
Kinoville. More Cameras and Projectors, with useful links.
Early Cinema. Excellent introduction to the early movies, with actual samples which can be viewed online.
General Information
The Silent Film Bookshelf. Original source material. The world of silent films from the point of view of the people who first made them and watched them.
The Silents Majority. Large comprehensive site, well done, with something for everyone.
Silent Movies. The original internet Silent Film site, comprehensive and excellent.
Early German Film . In English.
The German Way. Excellent site with chronology of early filmmaking. In English.
Cinegraph. German site, in German, with some useful links.
Archives, Museums, and Institutions
Library of Congress Paper Print Collection. Download copies of early films.
DOMITOR. An International Consortium of Early Film Scholars.
The Frankfurt Film Museum. In German.
French Cinema History Research. In English and French.
Stifftung Deutsche Kinematek. German Film Archive, Berlin. In German.
Specific Companies, Stars, and Films.
Edison Motion Pictures. Part of the Edison National Historic Site page.
Edison's Frankenstein. Commercial site, with fascinating information about his rare 1910 film.
The Biograph Company. Excellent presentation of information and photos of one of the earliest film companies in America.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Detailed synopsis, commentary of this famous film. Illustrated.
Fantomas. One of the most popular French silent serials ever made.
Abel Gance Homepage. Highlights the work of one of France's outstanding silent directors. In English.
Valentino. In Italian, illustrated.
Miscellaneous
Classic Films. Lots of general information and silent film links.