Comments on: Burton Holmes, Inventor of the Travelogue

Burton Holmes, Inventor of the Travelogue

Kattullus — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:30:08 -0800

The Burton Holmes Archive has information about Burton Holmes, the travel writer who became the first person to make filmic travelogues. More importantly, they also have a lot of film clips by Holmes and his associate, André de la Varre, who was also a great travelogue maker himself. Watching these clips is not quite time travel, but it is as close as we can get. Take a look at Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1926, Lake Michigan in 20s, Cairo in 1932 and the 1955 Rio de Janeiro carnival. The later films have sound and narration, but I prefer the silent ones. [Burton Holmes previously, André de la Varre previously, and the Travel Film Archive, which runs Burton Holmes site, previously]

By: spitbull

spitbull — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:08:07 -0800

Great post, thank you!

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:59:25 -0800

It's fascinating that he had travelogues on places far away (from the United States) and some places I'd consider more mundane (by comparison). For example, one flier promotes Bermuda - Nassau - Jamaica; South Africa; Northern Italy; Thru the Eastern Congo; Bonnie Scotland; another: Sunny Ireland; Favulous Florida; Road to Panama; Amazing Arizona; Canadian Rockies. Florida? Arizona? Virginia? Intriguing! Thanks!

By: 0rison

0rison — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:16:37 -0800

Previously: Sans Soleil.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:10:01 -0800

WWI spurred the technological development of portable video cameras, refined in the post year wars, so that's why you first begin to see these travel documentaries in the 20s. One of the pioneers of portable video camera technology went to Everest with George Mallory in the early 20s, he built his camera by hand to make it light enough to travel across Tibet and up the mountain (part way).

By: Kevin Street

Kevin Street — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:33:49 -0800

Truly awesome!