Alexander Black is one of the unsung pioneers of the film business. Before film and projectors, he published photo narratives which he called "Picture Plays". As an illustrator who could take photographs, he sought to combine the skills in tableaux in which he created the scenery and hired the actors. For the photo narrative above - Miss Jerry - he wrote the following text,


SCENE 1 "When the story opens Holbrooke and his daughter have been in New York for five years enjoying the fruits of the miner's success... The first cloud of misfortune is a letter from the mine reporting probable disaster. The miner and his daughter must make some radical change in their way of living..."


SCENE 2 "When she surpises him... he starts guiltily, slipping the letter into his pocket, muttering some commonplace about being late for the office. But she reads trouble in his face, and the Colorado postmark on the envelope which he has not taken from the table, confirms her suspicions of trouble at the mine."


SCENE 3 "On the same morning Kate the maid announces in much excitement that there is a Pirate in the Hall. The pirate lounged in and drawls "I guess this is Jerry.. " - "Is this you Pink ?" exclaims the girl....." The Photo Narrative survived the impact of the movies - here a cheap and badly produced books of picture puzzles, each section devoted to a crime case. The clues are there to see or rather - would be if the printing was clear.
 

ILLUSTRATED

PHOTO CRIME