Forward, into the past…
Sometimes, traveling in one direction can take you in a completely different direction, as suggested by the title line (spoken by the butler, Catherwood, in Firesign Theatre‘s “The Further Adventures of Nick Danger” section of the “How Can You Be in Two Places at Once, When You’re Not Anywhere at All?” album). (As a “fire sign,” I can really appreciate the comment! 
)
I was invited to attend presentations by two fellow photographers, Lisa and Ron Rigge, and Niles, California architect, Paul Welschmeyer, in the first of quarterly “open mic” history/cultural arts symposia to share and discover connections among the communities of Southern Alameda County, and their contributions to the greater Bay Area. The quarterly Symposia are called “Transcontinental Connections” after the key position of Niles, CA (now a “district” in Fremont at coordinates 37°34′44″N 121°58′40″W) and Niles Canyon (the last part of the railroad to be completed) in the First Transcontinental Railroad. The presentations by the Rigges and Paul Welschmeyer were all wonderful, as was a free-form discussion ranging from the disappearance of Kodachome and infrared films, to some plans for preserving the historic California Nursery, which supplied plantings to William Randolph Hearst for Hearst Castle.
Those of you who have managed to make it this far in the blog entry (my apologies to any of the linear thinkers who may have dropped out along the way) may want to know that the venue for the symposia is the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, in Niles, CA (37395 Niles Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536; 510-494-1411). The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio founded in Uptown, Chicago, IL by George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. “Broncho Billy” Anderson, originally as the “Peerless Film Manufacturing Company,” but on August 10, 1907, the name was changed to Essanay (“S and A”) after the first letter of the two last names. At that time, roughly 80% of all American motion pictures were made in Chicago. Given the variable weather of Chicago (I remember one January day in which the high temperature was forecast to be -7 [minus 7] degrees F), Essanay opened the Essanay-West studio in Niles, CA in 1913!
In 1914, Essanay succeeded in hiring Charlie Chaplin away from Mack Sennett‘s Keystone Studios (of Keystone Kops fame), by offering him (pay attention, high-tech companies) a higher salary and his own production unit. Charlie Chaplin made 14 films for Essanay – one in Chicago, five in Niles (“A Night Out,” “The Champion,” “In the Park,” “A Jitney Elopement,” and “The Tramp” [which also became Chaplin’s best-known character]), and eight in Los Angeles. Chaplin’s stock company at Essanay included Ben Turpin (before 1907, Turpin was the company janitor; he disliked working with the meticulous Chaplin), Edna Purviance (Chaplin’s onscreen and offscreen sweetheart), Leo White (who played continental villains), Bud Jamison and John Rand (who played “authority figures“). Chaplin disliked Essanay, and left after only one year for (you guessed it!) more money and more creative control. His departure from Essanay caused a rift between Spoor and Anderson, since Chaplin was the studio’s biggest moneymaker.
For you corporations that can’t figure out how to do a 3-way pooled stock transaction (look what happens to companies like that….): Essanay joined in a 4-way merger (who knows, maybe life was simpler then) orchestrated by the Chicago distributor George Kleine to form V-L-S-E (“who cares they’re always changing, coorporation names“) for Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, and Essanay companies, in 1918.
The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum shows (you guessed it, again! ) silent films on Saturday nights with a live piano player (believe it or not, this stuff originally happened before my time ), and, I see from the current schedule (PDF), one night with a live Kurzweil synthesizer player! The museum also shows other vintage films! The theater is air-conditioned, and a $5 donation is suggested.
I will definitely return. I took only a quick tour of the antique camera equipment and props from the Essanay prop room.
Maybe I will see you there some Saturday night.
(Note added July 28, 2009: I just received an email copy of the Niles Essanay eNewreael AUGUST SCHEDULE! You can probably get on the mailing list by contacting “Your obedient newseditor, Michael Bonham” at newseditor@nilesfilmmuseum.org and ASKING NICELY! In the newsletter, he states that they have partnered with their good friends at The Essanay Café, so that if you purchase your ticket on Saturday night at the The Essanay Café, you will receive a 10% discount on your bill, even if you order just an appetizer or a glass of wine! Remember to make a reservation at 510-792-0112 to ensure tha tyou are seated at or before 5:30 PM so that you can get to the Edison Theater [home of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum] in time for the show!)
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. Apparel and other gifts decorated with some of our most popular photos can be ordered from the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Store on CafePress®. Both Shutterfly™ and CafePress® ship to most international locations worldwide! If you don’t see what you want or would like to receive an email when new photos are up on the site, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.
