Bureau of War Photographs of the Division of Films

The first purpose of this bureau was to open up tlie war activities of the Nation to the exploitation of the camera. Military authorities were naturally interested only in guarding military secrets, but an agreement was finally reached by which the Committee on Public Information agreed to investigate all applicants for camera permits, and also to pass upon the pictures when taken. This system of investigation and this method of voluntary censorship was a success from the start. It is a tribute to the patriotism of the photographic and motion-picture industries that the bureau, without a law of any kind behind it, enforced a censorship more effective than that in any other belligerent country. No request was ever ignored; also, while thousands of permits were issued, none was ever abused.

A second step in the progress of this bureau was the distribution of photographs made by the Signal Corps. Not alone was it the case that these pictures had a distinct commercial value, but what was even more important, they had high educational values.

To secure the most efficient distribution a plan was evolved which utilized the Photographic Association, which association had members that syndicated their photographs internationally as well as nationally, namely. Underwood & Underwood, International Film Service, Brown Bros., Paul Thompson, Kadel & Herbert, Harris & Ewing, Western Newspaper Union, News Enterprise Association, and others, which afforded a widespread distribution system. Through organized effort these syndicate members placed these photographs in daily newspapers, weekly and monthly magazines, technical publications, and other media. To expedite production and delivery a laboratory was secured in New York City which was operated by the Signal Corps Photographic Division in conjunction with Columbia University. The prices fixed were nominal, designed only to cover expenses.

This department also furnished quantities of photographs each week to the Foreign Service Section of the committee for use in propaganda media in the Allied and neutral nations, same being used in the making of posters, circular matter, and in foreign newspapers and other publications. Photographs were also furnished for publicity purposes for motion-picture features and were reproduced in hundreds of newspapers reaching millions of circulation.

Another means of distribution of war photographs was to private collections, which comprised the universities, historical societies, State and municipal libraries, and any organization that could make use of pictures for future reference. Also, individuals who were interested in getting pictures of war activities, more especially those who had members of their families or friends directly connected with the war.

The Department of Slides was next added to the activities of the bureau and supplied a long-felt need for official and authentic photographs in stereopticon form for the use of ministers, lecturers, school teachers, and others. We succeeded in putting out standard size black and white slides of the finest workmanship at 15 cents each, which price saved the user from 50 to 80 per cent.

At first the production of slides was entirely dependent on the laboratory of the Signal Corps in Washington, which, as the orders increased in volume, proved inadequate to turn out sufficient quantity. The Committee on Public Information then built its own laboratory, which had ample production facilities.

The first few months we confined our work solely to producing and distributing miscellaneous slides made from the pictures released daily for the newspapers. Catalogues were prepared listing all slides and were furnished to individuals and organizations upon request.

There was a demand for illustrated lectures on the war. Destruction of the churches in France by the Germans was our first production, as a complete set of 50 slides. This I lecture was written by Prof. Tatlock.

Immediately after the release of the " Ruined Churches " set, the following were prepared : Our Boys in France, 100 slides; Building a Bridge of Ships to Pershing, 50 slides ; To Berlin Via the Air Route, 50 slides ; Making the American Army, 50 slides. About 700 of these sets were ordered by patriotic organizations and individuals, as well as churches and schools.

The next illustrated lectures to be distributed were as follows: The Call to Arms, 58 slides; Trenches and Trench Warfare, 73 slides; Airplanes and How Made, 61 slides; Flying for America, 54 slides; The American Navy, 51 , slides; The Navy at Work, 36 slides; Building a Bridge of \ Ships, 63 slides ; Transporting the Army to France, 63 slides ; Carrying the Home to the Camp, 61 slides. These sets were prepared by George F. Zook, professor of modern European history in Pennsylvania State College. A total of 900 were ordered. While the greater number of orders came from various parts of this country, many were received from foreign countries.

In the year of existence the Department of Slides distributed a total of 200,000 shdes.

The entire stocks of this bureau, its files, and equipment have been turned over to the War and Navy for continued use.