This paper first introduces the collection of Screen Archive South East and then turns to Frank’s recent research that draws upon the archive’s collection of lantern slides, lanterns, catalogues and art work from the Church Army. Founded in 1882 by the Reverend Wilson Carlile as the evangelistic arm of the Church of England, Carlile created an ‘army’ of laymen whose purpose was to ‘save’ the ‘fallen’. His missionaries were trained to work outside of the conventions of church buildings and formal services, integrating first the magic lantern and then the cinematograph into their daily work.

Biography

Dr Gray is an early film historian and the Director of Screen Archive South East (SASE) at the University of Brighton. For over twenty years, he has investigated the cultural, economic and technological histories related to the study of early film production and consumption in Brighton from 1895-1914. As the Director of SASE, he leads the archive as it researches, documents, catalogues, administers, stores, preserves, digitises and provides access to a valuable collection of lantern slides and moving images produced from the late 19thC to the present. He is currently an AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow. His fellowship is devoted to the curation of an exhibition on early colour film technologies for Brighton Museum.