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Smith (Albert E.) Papers
LSC.2004  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
Albert E. Smith (1875-1958) co-founded the Vitagraph Company of America as the Reader, Smith, and Blackton Combination in 1894. He invented the Vitagraph, one of the first successful motion picture projectors, in 1896. The collection consists of correspondence, scrapbooks, albums, photographs, auditor's reports, and trade agreements pertaining to the business of the Vitagraph Company of America, of which Smith was co-founder.
Background
Smith was born in 1875 in Faversham, England; co-founded the Vitagraph Company of America as the Reader, Smith, and Blackton Combination in 1894; Vitagraph producer, writer, and executive with actor and director J. Stuart Blackton until sale of the company to Warner Brothers in 1925; invented the Vitagraph, one of the first successful motion picture projectors, in 1896; had a wife, Lucile, and 6 children; died August 1, 1958 in Los Angeles.
Extent
18 Linear Feet (15 boxes, 6 oversize boxes)
Restrictions
Property rights to the 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.
Availability
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.