Origins of American Animation, 1900-1921

Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress

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The development of early American animation is represented by this collection of 21 animated films and 2 fragments, which spans the years 1900 to 1921. The films include clay, puppet, and cut-out animation, as well as pen drawings. They point to a connection between newspaper comic strips and early animated films, as represented by Keeping Up With the Joneses, Krazy Kat, and The Katzenjammer Kids. As well as showing the development of animation, these films also reveal the social attitudes of early twentieth-century America.

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The Library of Congress presents these documents as part of the record of the past. These primary historical documents reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. The Library of Congress does not endorse the views expressed in these collections, which may contain materials offensive to some readers.

Special Presentation:
Notes on the Origins of American Animation

Understanding the Collection

Finding Aid: Silent Animated Films at the Library of Congress

Selected Bibliography

Collection Connections

Working with the Collection

How to View Videos

How to Order Copies of Films

Digitizing the Collection

Acknowledgments

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Mar-31-99