George K. Hollister
Encyclopedia
George K. Hollister
(March 7, 1873 - March 28, 1952) was an American
pioneer cinematographer
.
Born in New York City
, New York
, little is known of his background. In 1903 he married a seventeen-year-old girl named Alice
from Worcester, Massachusetts
, believed to be the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. They had a daughter, Doris Ethel, born in 1906 and George Jr., born in 1908.
Around 1908 George Hollister was hired by the Kalem Company
to train as a camera operator. Under film director
Sidney Olcott
, he was the camera man for the pioneering Kalem team that filmed in Florida
during the winter and in 1910 would be part of the first ever crew to film on location outside of the United States. Traveling to Ireland
with Olcott's crew that included leading lady and principal screenwriter, Gene Gauntier
, and actor Robert Vignola, George Hollister shot A Lad from Old Ireland
plus a number of film shorts in Blarney Castle
, Glengarriff
and at the Lakes of Killarney
. A Kalem crew returned to Ireland in each of the next two years and in 1912, Hollister's wife joined them and acted in the first of her films.
After the 1912 filming in Ireland, Hollister then filmed his most important cinematic accomplishment when Olcott led the Kalem team to Palestine
where they filmed From the Manger to the Cross
. The film told the story of Jesus
, and in 1998 was selected for the National Film Registry
of the United States Library of Congress
.
George K. Hollister appeared as an actor in a few scenes in several films and did his last camera work in 1929. He died in Los Angeles in 1952 and is interred in the Great Mausoleum, Columbarium of Solace at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
. His wife Alice, who died in 1973, is interred with him.
Hollister (family name)
Hollister is an English family name from the Gloucester region of England, United Kingdom, now most numerous in the United States of America. In 1992, it was estimated there were 2204 households in the USA, 94 in Canada, 81 in Australia, 21 in New Zealand, 3 in Denmark and 371 in Great...
(March 7, 1873 - March 28, 1952) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pioneer cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
.
Born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, little is known of his background. In 1903 he married a seventeen-year-old girl named Alice
Alice Hollister
Alice Hollister was an American silent film actress.Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she is believed to have been the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. In 1903, at age seventeen, she married George K. Hollister who a few years later became a pioneer cinematographer with Kalem Studios in New...
from Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, believed to be the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. They had a daughter, Doris Ethel, born in 1906 and George Jr., born in 1908.
Around 1908 George Hollister was hired by the Kalem Company
Kalem Company
The Kalem Company was an American film studio founded in New York City in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion.The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution...
to train as a camera operator. Under film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business...
, he was the camera man for the pioneering Kalem team that filmed in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
during the winter and in 1910 would be part of the first ever crew to film on location outside of the United States. Traveling to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
with Olcott's crew that included leading lady and principal screenwriter, Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. A writer, director and actress in films from early 1906 to 1920, she wrote screenplays for 31 films...
, and actor Robert Vignola, George Hollister shot A Lad from Old Ireland
A Lad from Old Ireland
The Lad from Old Ireland is a 1910 American made motion picture. It is the first ever production by an American movie studio to be filmed on location outside of the United States....
plus a number of film shorts in Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland, and the River Martin. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446...
, Glengarriff
Glengarriff
Glengarriff is a village of approximately 800 people on the N71 national secondary road in the south-west region of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it boasts many natural attractions...
and at the Lakes of Killarney
Lakes of Killarney
The Lakes of Killarney are a renowned scenic attraction located near Killarney, County Kerry, in Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and Upper Lake.Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes...
. A Kalem crew returned to Ireland in each of the next two years and in 1912, Hollister's wife joined them and acted in the first of her films.
After the 1912 filming in Ireland, Hollister then filmed his most important cinematic accomplishment when Olcott led the Kalem team to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
where they filmed From the Manger to the Cross
From the Manger to the Cross
From the Manger to the Cross or Jesus of Nazareth is a 1912 American motion picture filmed on location in Palestine which tells the story of Jesus' life. Directed by Sidney Olcott who also appeared in the film, actress and screenwriter Gene Gauntier wrote the script and portrayed the Virgin Mary...
. The film told the story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and in 1998 was selected for the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
of the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
George K. Hollister appeared as an actor in a few scenes in several films and did his last camera work in 1929. He died in Los Angeles in 1952 and is interred in the Great Mausoleum, Columbarium of Solace at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. His wife Alice, who died in 1973, is interred with him.