HISTORY: We found a few more notes we jotted down from our search through old newspaper archives. Here is this description of movies of the day from 1908.
“The latest thing in moving pictures is a phonograph that tells what the pictures are doing and what they are saying. By this means a play of phantom figures is pulled off very readily and ‘living pictures’ of a new kind are on the job.”
Imagine if a person from back then could see all that we can do with a cell phone.
Here’s another little gem we found while we were searching.
“The ‘Salome’ dance is becoming a regular fad. It has not struck Bradford yet, except in moving pictures. It’s a ‘hoochie koochie’ affair such as the wicked ancients supposed was dancing.”
How scandalous.
RELIGION: Looking back to 1900, we found an interesting commentary about religion. It sounds similar to arguments that continue today, 118 years later.
“A Bradford pastor has sent out circular letters asking men why the churches do not have more attractions for men. He wants to know why they do not go to church regularly. Many answers could be given to that question. One great reason is that men of the world are not always sure about the right church to attend. Others are lazy and like to sleep on Sunday mornings on account of too much sociability on Saturday nights, or because of too much labor during the week.
“Some men look upon religion as a good thing for children and women. Others believe they know more about religion than do the preachers. Men usually read whatever they get their hands on. Sometimes they read things that shake their faith in the orthodoxy. They almost unconsciously become agnostics who ‘don’t know’ and indifference follows.
“Men are fond of personal liberty. Some of them learn to confound religion with narrow-mindedness. They see people hating each other for the love of God and they become disgusted. There are men who believe that their affairs of conscience should not be interfered with by cranky folks who insist on prescribing petty rules and regulations for the community’s conduct. They personally know evil minded hypocrites who use religion to cloak their iniquities. These and many other causes may be cited for the prevalence of indifference to religions matters among men.”
