My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Christmas Past – 25 and end of a series – Santa Claus (1898) – G.A. Smith | BFI National Archive

Made in 1898, G.A. Smith’s ‘Santa Claus’ is a film of considerable technical ambition and accomplishment for its period. It uses pioneering visual effects in its depiction of a visit from St. Nicholas.

A former magic lanternist and hypnotist, Smith was one of the first British film-makers to make extensive use of special effects to create fantastical scenes. It comes as little surprise that Smith corresponded with the French pioneer Georges Méliès at about this time, as the two men shared a common goal in terms of creating an authentic cinema of illusion. (Michael Brooke)

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Christmas Past – 24 in a series – Successful Farming 1929-12

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Christmas Past – 21 in a series – The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum (1902)

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library