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Les origines (1875-1895)

Né à Sheffield, en janvier 1875, James Stuart Blacktin voit ses parents divorcer moins de six mois après sa naissance. En 1881, il est recensé, à Sheffield, avec sa mère et ses grands-parents maternels. Il émigre aux États-Unis en 1886 avec son grand-père James Stuart et sa mère. À la fin de ses études, James S. Blacktin, qui modifiera son nom en "Blackton", est engagé comme dessinateur de presse avant de se lancer dans des conférences :

I can tell you briefly that I was engaged after I left college as an artist and newspaper illustrator, magazine illustrator, and throught that I became a cartoonist under Major Pond, who managed celebrities in those days, and he recongnized in my work something similar to Thomas Nast, who had been a cartoonist in previous years, and he offered to manage me on lecture tours, and the first year I was under Major Pond's management, I think, was in 1895 or 1896 [...].

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BLACKTON, 1915: 1873.

Il fait pourtant déjà équipe, dès 1894, avec Albert E. Smith qu'il a rencontré grâce à Ronald A. Reader. Les trois hommes se réunissent au sein de l'International Novelty Company et font leur début à Haverstraw (New Jersey) d'après les souvenirs d'Albert E. Smith :

Our debut in Haverstraw was not notable, the town being engrossed in a major strike that paralyzed the brickyards. Looking through a peephole in the curtain, we observed an elderly man and a little girl in the front row. An audience is an audience, no matter its size, so Blackton stepped out on the stage.
Although the response is not quite what we had hoped for, it makes no difference to The International Novelty Company. The show will go on!

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SMITH, 1952: 29.

On retrouve le trio d'artistes à New York, le 7 décembre 1894 où il se produit au Parshall's Hall (167 Street).

"The Celebrated Reader, Smith and Blackton Combination"
Reproduit dans SLIDE, 1976: 4.

Les trois collaborateurs poursuivent leur spectacle en 1895 - Brooklyn (11 octobre 1895) - et en 1896 :

AMPHION MUSICAL SOCIETY.
The Reader, Smith & Blackton combination, in their entertainment of magic, mystery, humor and art, was the feature of ladies' night las evening at the Amphion Musical society's entertainment, given in the hall at the corner of Lee avenue and Clymer street last evening. The entertainment which was very successful and largely attended in one of a series given this season by the society. The programme included:
Albert W. Smith, sleight of hand and impersonations of well known characters.
J. Stuart Blackton in a comic travesty illustrated by cartoon drawings in colors and characters sketches in black and white.
Reader and Smith in a humorous creation, "A Night With the Spirits."
J. Stuart Blackton in rapid oil painting in landscape, marine, etc.
Reader, prestidigitateur, surprises.

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Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn, mercredi 19 février 1896, p. 5.

Dès cette époque, James S. Blackton présente, lors de ses spectacles, des caricatures de quelques figures célèbres de l'époque (McKinley, Cleveland...) :

A Clever Cartoonist.
A good entertainment was given in the rooms of the Young Men'os Christian Association, on Tuesday evening. J. Stuart Blackton, comic cartoonist, was the entertainer. Unfortunately, the number present was small.
For about an hour the artiste kept the audience amused by his rapid and funny sketches. His remarks while drawing these were brimming over with jokes, old and new.-From the outline of a countenance he cleverly produced in succession the well-known features of McKinley, Cleveland, Herrmann the magician, and Dr. Parkhurst.
Two sketches, illustrating the difference between the ancient Greek figure and that of a modern chappie, were much appreciated. His landscapes and pictures in oil evoked generous applause. During the execution of the latter works, Harvey Slade rendered appropriate music at the piano.

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Yonkers Statesman, Yonkers, mercredi 6 mai 1896, p. 3.

Les images animées (1896-1906)

À l'été 1896, James S. Blackton, qui travaille alors pour l'Evening World, intéressé par les images animées, se serait rendu à Menlo Park afin d'interviewer Thomas A. Edison :

[...] , and in that way I became interested in the possibilities of the entertainment field, and about that time motion pictures first made their appearance, and in my capacity as a magazine writer and artist both-I used to write my own stories and illustrate them-I called on Mr. Edison and wrote an article about his Kinetoscope. This was before the projecting machine had made its appearance. It was just a little Vitascopoe, which you looked down into. [...] And I interviewed Mr. Edison and I drew some sketches in my sketch book, and he was very much interested, and he said, "We are going to show these little pictures up on a big screen very soon, and I would like to have you do some of your cartoon work before our camera," and I said I would be very glad to do so [...].

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BLACKTON, 1915: 1873.

L'article de presse de James S. Blackton qu'il aurait écrit pour un quotidien new-yorkais est souvent évoqué, mais jamais cité, ce qui jette le trouble sur sa réelle existence. En revanche, Blackton publie bien des caricatures dans le New York Evening World, mais pas celle d'Edison. 

Si des doutes planent donc sur la réalité de la rencontre entre l'inventeur de Menlo Park et le caricaturiste, ce qui ne fait aucun doute c'est que James S. Blackton va bien tourner trois vues animées où on le voit dessiner les portraits d'Edison, de McKinley et de Cleveland :

[...] and we went out into a place called the "Black María," and into a revolving studio, and I drew a sketch of Mr. Edison on a large piece of paper, and a sketch of William McKinley, and a sketch of Grover Cleveland, three sketches, and they made a film of it fifty feet in length, and that was one of the first ten or twenty pictures they sold, or leased with their Vitascope, and later on I saw myself on the screen drawing these pictures [...].

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BLACKTON, 1915: 1874.

Dans les mois qui suivent, outre ses activités de journaliste, Blackton continue à faire équipe avec Albert E. Smith : Asbury (Brunswick. Casino. 15 juillet), Brooklyn (Teachers's Institute. 22 septembre), Indiana (Normal chapel, 31 octobre), Jersey City (Emory M. E. Church. 12 novembre), Long Island City (The Ferry waiting-room. 16 décembre), Paterson (First Baptist Church. 22 décembre)...

L'expérience des tournages de vues animées va conduire James S. Blackton à s'investir vraiment dans ce type de spectacle avec son ami et associé Albert E. Smith. Pour cela, ils se rendent chez Thomas A. Edison dans le but d'acheter un vitascope :

[...] and that was the beginning of the realization in my mind that there was a future in motion pictures, and I became interested with a friend, who later became a business associate, Mr. Albert Smith. We went over to see Mr. Edison again, and to find out if we could buy one of the machines, and we were told we could not buy a Vitascope, that all the machines were leased on State rights propositions, and we didn't have money enough to buy State rights, but a very short time after that the Edison Projecting Kinetoscope was put on the market, and we purchased one of those, one of the very earliest ones. Our machine was numbered "13." I remember it, because there was a superstition about it that it would bring us good luck, and I think it did, and that is how I got into the Business.

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BLACKTON, 1915: 1874.

Finalement, le vitascope est mis en vente en février 1897 et quelques semaines plus tard les deux hommes disposent d'un exemplaire dont l'exploitation commence vers le mois d'avril sous le nom "vitagraph" très souvent associé au nom d'Edison : 

On retrouve les deux artistes dans cette nouvelle combinaison avec le vitagraph à New Haven en mai. James Stuart Blackton se retrouve également à présenter l'appareil dans différentes villes : Lakeville (14 mai 1897), Jersey City (29 juin 1897), Bridgeton (16 septembre 1897), Broolkyn (14 octobre 1897), Pittsburgh (17 décembre 1897), Jersey City (10 janvier 1898), Trenton (17 janvier 1898), Wilmington (26 janvier 1898), Passaic (10 février 1898), Morristown (25 mars 1898), Wappingers Falls (22 avril) Rising Sun (30 avril 1898)...

The News of Cumberland County, Bridgeton, mercredi 15 septembre 1897, p. 1.

CENTRAL OPERA HOUSE.—A fair sized house greeted the specialties on Monday evening, May 16. The bill for this week includes: The Mitchell Sisters, in songs and dances; Tempest and Langdon, in a comedy sketch; Lee Ingham, in equilibristic feats; Madden and Curran, who dispensed with their well known brogue; Maude Raymond, the clever commedienne, singer and mimic, who was liberally applauded for her work; the Pantzer Trio of contortionists, twisting themselves into difficult positions; Campbell and Beard, musical comedians, and the Edison vitagraph, with timely views. Many prominent acts have been engaged by Mr. Fuenkenstein for future bills, and with favorable weather large audiences should be attracted.

New York Clipper, New York, 21 mai 1898, p. 194.

L'American Vitagraph Company est constituée en mars 1897

 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433085601015&seq=30&q1=Blackton

le wargraph: New York (Pleasure Palace, 20 juin 1898)

Edison Vitograph [sic]Company. New York (East Fifteenth st.,18 juin 1898)

Mount Gretna: 26 juillet 1898, Buffalo (16 août)

White Plains : 29 décembre 1898

12 janvier: Brooklyn (Criterion Theatre)

Jersey City: 27 mars 1899.

Scranton: 30 mai 1899.

Naugatuck : 4 novembre 1899

Coudersport : 19-20 décembre 1899.

Scranton : 22 décembre 1899.

EDISON AFTER VITAGRAPH COMPANY.
The Inventor Files a Bill of Complaint for Infringement of Patent.
Thomas A. Edison has fled in the Clerk's office of the United States Circuit Court three bills of complaint against J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith, individually and as co-partners, for alleged violation of copyright and infringements of patents. In the first complaint Mr. Edison states that the defendants, without his consent and in violation of his rights, printed and sold copies of a photograph taken at Port Tampa, Fla., entitled "Transport Whitney Leaving Dock," for which he had secured a copyright. He asks that the defendants be enjoined from further printing of the picture and that they be required to reimburse him for the loss and damage he has suffered through their action, which can be shown by their rendering an accounting of the number of copies of the photograph sold by them.
The two other complaints charge that the defendants, trading under the name of "Commercial Advertising Bureau" and "American Vitagraph Company," made, used, and sold apparatus containing two of Mr. Edison's patented inventions for exhibiting photographs of moving objects, and he asks for an injunction. an accounting. and damages.New York Herald, New York, mercredi 13 juillet 1898, p. 7.

NAUGATUCK
[...]
The Vitgraph [sic].
The New York Sun says one reason why the American vitagraph presents the finest exhibition of moving pictures in the world is that many of the most successful animated photo films sold by the Edison company and nearly all the subjects exhibited by the Vitagraph company were taken under the personal supervision of Messrs Blackton and Smith. who as experts in rapid photography, were engaged during the SpanIsh war, under special contract, to take moving pictures for the Edison Manufacturing company of Orange, J. The views they obtained in Cuba, Florida and the West Indies, and since of the Dewey celebrations, and the great naval and land parades enables the Vitagraph company to offer the largest and most complete list of animated pictures in the world. Mr Blackton will be with the big vitagraph show that comes to the Gem Opera house November 4. matinee and evening. He was one of the finest cartoon artists on the New York World. Mr Rock, the president of the company. assures Mr Morse that the two performances here will be the finest in the line ever given in Naugatuck. There should be 1,000 children at the matinee.The Waterbury Democrat, Waterbury, vendredi 27 octobre 1899, p. 3.

The American Vitagraph Company, Announcement, 15 février 1900.
Reproduit dans CHERCHI USAI, 1987: 69. 

The Vitagraph Company of America (1900-1901 et 1902-1925)

recensement 1900 (New York).

Et après (1907-1941)

Twenty years ago J. Stuart Blackton was an artist on the Evening World in New York. He also wrote and illustrated special stories. He was given an assignment by the New York World ot go over to New Jersey and interview Thomas A. Edison, who was then making motion pictures and motion picture taking and projections apparatus. Young Blackton was to get the material for a page story ans to illustrate with sketches of Edison and his plant. In the company of the inventor he toured the establisment. One of the persons he saw before the camera was Cissy Fitzgerald, who was dancing and exhibiting her famous wink-the same alluring lid action which nineteen years later was to shine in Vitagraph's "The Win(s)some Widow."
Mr. Edison invited the artist into his office, where sketches of the inventor were duly made in the Blackton book. The inventor was interested. Two hours passed. The office employes began to fear the caller had chloroformed the Wizard. Five minutes was the usual time devoted to one visitor. Mr. Edison had the artist drawing pictures for his entertainment. There were sketches made of David B. Hill, of Levi P. Morton, of Grover Cleveland, of William McKinley, the latter of whom was that fall to be elected President.
"Could you draw those pictures on a large sheet of paper for the moving picture camera?" inquired Mr. Edison.
The artist assured him that he could — and proved it.
The inventor took the artist out to the "Black Maria" and photographed the sketches. The interest of the latter in the plant was growing. A week later the newspaper man went back to Orange to see the pictures, which later were shown at Proctor's. The artist returned to New York, hunted up his chum, Albert E. Smith, and told him what he had seen. The two agreed that moving pictures looked promising. They determined to find out what could be done to secure an outfit and journeyed to Orange. Mr. Edison informed them there was nothing for sale, the Vitascopes were all out on state rights, but that shortly he would have a small machine on the market.
"Let us have one of the first," said the two. About two months later they purchased a Projecting Kinetoscope. For a while they gave exhibitions. Then Mr. Smith, using the same mechanism, transformed the projector into a camera. On the roof of the building 140 Nassau street, where the partners had an office, they took pictures. That was the first studio of the Vitagraph Company, the beginning from which has grown the twenty-five-million-dollar corporation of today.
The partners had not gone far, however, before their activities were brought to a halt by a suit for infringement. Mr. Edison got an injunction, restraining them from making pictures. An arrangement was afterward entered into by which Messrs. Smith and Blackton sold their negatives to Mr. Edison, who in turn paid them a royalty of 2 cents a foot on all positive prints sold. One of the first successful pictures was "The Visit to the Spiritualist," in which appeared as actors both the partners.
Business began to grow. The two were showing pictures in Proctor's Twenty-third Street and Fifty-eighth Street houses. One day they were informed their service would be no longer required. In response to inquiries they were told the houses had made better arrangements. Still seeking information, Austin Fynes said two machines had been engaged from a man named Rock, who had an office in One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street.
The partners took their five fifty-foot subjects, put them in a bag, and looked up the man named Rock. To their competitor they explained the circumstances. They pointed out to him that the three of them were the only men in New York with outfits; competition was foolish; wisdom would seem to dictate that the three get together. Mr. Rock had two machines, the partners had three. The former thought it over and decided to inform the manager of Proctor's houses that the deal was off. Immediately Messrs. Blackton and Smith were appealed to by the theater management. The service was restored, but it was $50 a week more expensive than it had been formerly.
The Spanish-American war came at this time. The three men found a great demand for their war pictures. There followed litigation with the Edison Company, finally resulting in the getting together of the parties, the formation of the Patents Company, and the pooling of patents for mutual protection.
It was in 1900 that the Vitagraph Company of America was formally incorporated by Messrs. Rock, Blackton and Smith. The partnership, for such it has been in fact, has remained unchanged up to the past week. Sixteen years, actually eighteen years, is a partnership record that in the moving picture business probably will stand unbroken for many years.

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Moving Picture World, 20 mai 1916, p. 1306-1307.

Hearing Before the Governor

Opponents of Cristman-Wheeler Censorship Will Appear in Force at Executive Mansion in Albany.

ITT- HEN the Governor of this state opens the hearing yy to be held on the Cristman-Wheeler Bill on Thursday, May 11, a strong and thoroughly representative delegation of the film interest will be on hand. It is expected that all the great groups and the leading individuals in the industry will be there. Among the most strenuous opponents of the bill without the pale of the industry is State Senator Argetsinger, who has filed a brief with the Govenor, condemning the proposed law and urging the Governor to veto it. The Famous Players, Metro, Vitagraph, Lasky, World, Mutual, Universal and Paramount will enter their protest. Jesse L. Lasky will be one of the chief speakers.

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will send the biggest delegation in its history. The following speakers will appear for the board: Lester F. Scott, acting director of the People's Institute, the Rev. Mr. Cranston Brenton, chairman of the National Board; Miss Mary Gray Peck, member of the Committee on Education of the General Federation of Women's Clubs; Dr. Henry E. Jenkins, District Superintendent of Schools of New York; Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor; Dr. James P. Warbasse, a trustee of the People's Institute.

Tom Mix

The Moving Picture World, 20 mai 1916, p. 1306.

James Stuart Blackton et ses enfants Charles et Vilet (c. 1918)

105 Cars of Baking Powder in One Train.
Largest train ever handled by any railroad-Drawn by four tremendous engines-3,018,155 pounds of product in one shipment, all records broken.
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Special to Town Talk:
Richmond, Va., Feb. 17-The Southern Manufacturing Company of this city has just shipped over the Seaboard Air Line a train of one hundred and five (105) solid carloads of "Good-Luck" Baking Powder, containing three million, eighteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-five (3,018,155) pounds of this product as shown by railway records and bills-of-lading.
This was not only the largest train ever handled by any railroad, but also the most attractive, each car being brand new and on its initial trip, and each handsomely decorated with banners.
Mr. Blackton of the American Vitagraph Company was on hand with his Vitagraph and photographed the train several miles from Richmond as it started on its course, drawn by four tremendous engines.
After being extensively photographed the train was broken into four sections, which were run twenty minutes apart.
In its immensity this shipment breaks all records in the manufacturing and shipping world. The freight prepaid on same amounted to fourteen thousand, on hundred and sixty-one and 4-100 dollars ($14.-161.04.).The Town Talk, Alexandria, mardi 19 février 1901, p. 2.

1910: recensement (New York)

1915: recensement (New York)

conscription

Marian Blackton et James S. Blackton (c. 1918) [D.P.]

naturalisation: 17 novembre 1918.

Demande de passeport 1920.

recensement 1921: Londres.

Sources

CHERCHI USAI Paolo (A cura di), Vitagraph Co. of America, Pordenone: Edizioni Studio Tesi, 1987, 646 p.

MUSSER Charles, "American Vitagraph: 1897-1901", Cinema Journal 22, nº 3, printemps 1983, p. 4-46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1224961?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents

ORMAN Felix, The Pioneer of the photoplay, [1920], 42 p.

SLIDE Anthony, The Big V. A History of the Vitagraph Company, Metuchen, The Scarecrow Press, 1976, 224 p.

SMITH Albert E., Two Reels and a Crank, New York, Doubleday & Company, 1952, 286 p.

The United States of America petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company et al, defendants. Record v. 4. "Direct Examination" (p. 1873-1887), "Direct Examination, Continued" (p. 1984-1996), "Cross Examination" (p. 2080-2091), 1915.

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