''The Photo-Drama of Creation'', or ''Creation-Drama'', is a four-part audiovisual presentation (eight hours in total) produced by the

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Warwick, New York. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and disseminate do ...

under the direction of

Charles Taze Russell Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), or Pastor Russell, was an American Christian restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement. He was an ...

, the founder of the

Bible Student movement The Bible Student movement is a Millennialist Restorationist Christian movement. It emerged from the teachings and ministry of Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916), also known as Pastor Russell, and his founding of the Zion's Watch Tower Tract ...

. The presentation presents their beliefs about God's plan from the creation of the earth through to the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

History

Production began in 1912, and the presentation was introduced to audiences in 1914."The Warning Work (1909-1914)", ''The Watchtower'', March 1, 1955, page 143, " om 1912 to the beginning of 1914 the Watch Tower Society spent a fortune (over $300,000) in preparing the Photo-Drama of Creation, to spread Bible knowledge to the masses of people during and after 1914." It was the first major screenplay to incorporate synchronized sound, moving film, and color slides.American Movie Classics
"Timeline of Greatest Film History Milestones'..."1914"
Retrieved 2009-04-15 Russell also published an accompanying book, ''Scenario of the Photo-Drama of Creation'', in various languages. It is about 8 hours in length and was presented in four parts. This presentation took the audience from the time of creation to the end of the Millennium. The presentation premiered in January 1914 in New York, and in the summer of 1914 in Germany. Over 9,000,000 people in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia saw either the full ''Photo-Drama'' or an abbreviated version called the ''Eureka-Drama''.IMDB article "Photo-Drama of Creation (1914)
IMDB article "Trivia"
Retrieved 2009-04-15"Society Uses Many Means to Expand Preaching", ''Centennial of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1884-1984'', page 24, "The Photo-Drama ... is believed to have been viewed by more than 9,000,000 people throughout North America and Europe, as well as many others in places around the world. It took two years and $300,000 to complete the project, many of the scenes being hand colored. Yet admission was free and no collections were taken." Shows that combined

magic lantern The magic lantern, also known by its Latin name , is an early type of image projector that used pictures—paintings, prints, or photographs—on transparent plates (usually made of glass), one or more lenses, and a light source. Because a si ...

slides and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

s were common at the time, but the addition of recorded speech was unusual, and the magnitude of its distribution for a single religious production was particularly notable. At the time, the project's full cost was estimated at about $300,000 (current value $).

Content

The ''Photo-Drama'' purported that the seven creative "days" in the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning" ...

equal 49,000 years, based on Russell's belief that each creative day lasts 7,000 years. It further claimed that 48,000 years have already passed, such that the final thousand years are "near at hand". 1914 Photo Drama of Creation Slides

References

External links

*
Photo-Drama: A 100-Year-Old Epic of Faith
(Watch Tower Society) {{DEFAULTSORT:Photo-Drama of Creation 1914 films Films about evangelicalism Bible Student movement Cultural depictions of Adam and Eve Portrayals of Jesus in film Cultural depictions of John the Baptist

History

Content

See also

Further reading

References

External links