William Horsley papers, 1903-1947

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Summary

Creators:
Horsley, Wm. (William)
Abstract:
William Horsley (1870-1956) founded the Centaur Film Company (later, Nestor Motion Picture Company) in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1907. His film company and other independents merged to create Universal Pictures Company in 1912. The collection contains photographs, correspondence, magazines and magazine articles, and ephemera related to William Horsley's career in the motion picture industry.
Extent:
0.5 linear feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], William Horsley papers (Collection 540). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains photographs, correspondence, magazines and magazine articles, and ephemera related to William Horsley's career in the motion picture industry. Also contains a one-page holograph autobiography by Horsley. Includes photographs of Horsley, Nestor Motion Picture Company staff, and the opening of Universal Studios. Journals, including Motive Power, feature biographical accounts of Horsley.

Biographical / historical:

Horsley was born in 1870; left England for the U.S.; worked as a boiler maker; with his brother David, founded the Centaur Film Company (later, Nestor Motion Picture Company) in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1907; along with his brother and other independents, founded Universal Pictures Company in 1912; designed and supervised the construction of Universal City; in 1916 he set up the Bill Horsley Laboratory (later, Hollywood Film Enterprises, Incorporated), which developed and printed 35mm. films; he died in 1956 in Los Angeles, California.

William and David Horsley were pioneers in the motion-picture industry, starting in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1907, under the name of Centaur Film Company (later Nestor Motion Picture Company). For the first three years, William was a silent partner, financing the little company which brother David was running. But from 1910 until 1916 he played an active role in the company running the laboratory part of the business. In 1916 he withdrew from the company and set up the Bill Horsley Laboratory, later known as Hollywood Film Enterprises, Inc., devoted exclusively to the developing and printing of 35mm. films.

He and his brother, along with other independents (notably Carl Laemmle and his Independent Motion Picture Company, known as IMPS, Swanson and Ed Porter) founded Universal Picture Company in 1912, and succeeded in defeating the monopolistic hold on the industry of the Patents Company and General Film Company (the famous Latham Loop controversy).

Acquisition information:
Gift of Mrs. William Horsley, 1959.
Processing information:

Processed by Esther Leonard.

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Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], William Horsley papers (Collection 540). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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