Page 96 - Copshaholm Curriculum Book_2015

MUSIC VIDEOS 1900
STYLE

As almost everyone knows, music videos got their start in the 90’s…the
1890’s that is.

In the 1890’s a man named George Thomas first put music together
with projected photographic images to entertain an audience. Known as
live model illustrated songs, these ancestors of MTV were a nationwide
craze by 1900.

Here’s how it all began. Thomas photographed people acting out a song
called “The Little Lost Child.” The photographic images were printed
on glass slides, and painted in color by hand. In the theater, musicians
played and sang the song while the slides were projected on a screen.

George Thomas’ first illustrated song show was a disaster. He
accidentally projected one of the images upside down. The audience
went wild with laughter. But by the second performance, Thomas had
his act together. And this time the audience went wild with delight.

Thanks to illustrated song performances, “The Little Lost Child”
became a nationwide hit. A huge industry was born. At one time, as
many as 10,000 small theaters across the country featured illustrated
songs. And customers lined up to see the show. For music publishers,
it was a gold mine.

Now you know.