Sponsored by the Office for History of Science and Technology (U.C. Berkeley)
And the History of Health Sciences Program (UCSF)
Emily Thompson
Associate Professor, Department of History, UC San Diego and Affiliated Researcher, Cal(IT)2
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"The Boys Upstairs": Projecting Change in the American Film Industry, 1926-1933
When commercially successful sound film arrived in American theaters circa 1926, the craft of motion picture projection changed dramatically. Many projectionists saw the new increase in technical and creative responsibilities as an opportunity to improve their status and working conditions and they campaigned vigorously to turn "motion picture machine operation" into "projection engineering." Their desire for improvement, however, was challenged by a formidable array of opposing forces: cost-conscious theater owners, corrupt union officials, new labor-saving technologies, and the Great Depression. The story of "The Boys Upstairs" demonstrates the complex interplay of technical and social elements that both characterizes technological change and determines who benefits most from such change.
4:00PM
Monday, September 12
140 Barrows Hall
UC Berkeley
Office for History of Science and Technology, 543 Stephens Hall #2350
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2350
tel: (510) 642-4581, e-mail: diana@berkeley.edu
