The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

May, 1941 Page 223 ciTjmoncj tliE iJ-^%oduaE%± Where the commercial firms announce new products and developments of interest to the field. New Recording Firm in Educational Field Recorded Lectures, Inc., 737 N. Mich- igan Avenue, Chicago, is one of the latest arrivals in the field of production of supplementary aids to teaching. It is a complete organization for "audible publishing." It will supply to the school field select teaching material in the form of electrical transcriptions of the highest quality in all branches of the curriculum. President of the new com- pany is Gerald T. Stanley. "Recorded Lectures" offer the most practical and economical means for exchange of ideas, for personal communication of thoughts, and theories by our great teachers. Leading authorities in all subjects may be heard in every classroom in the land through the simple medium of the ro- tating disc. As the work progresses, it will be possible for all institutions of learning, large or small, to develop their own libraries of recordings perfectly selected to meet their own specific needs. Such collections will constitute a wealth of unique reference material, instantly ac- cessible, usable at the exact moment de- sired, and permitting unlimited repetition as may be needed. The values derivable from such materials will increase in- definitely with growth of the schools' collection in an ever-widening range of subject matter. "Recorded Lectures" constitute a sup- plementary aid to teaching that is most perfectly under the teacher's control and at an absolute minimum of time and effort. No audio-visual aid can be more readily accessible than an indexed file of transcription discs; no setting up of equipment can be so simple as the mere placing of a disc on the turn table. As for means of sound reproduction, the problem is extremely simple. Many schools are already equipped with phono- graphs or a combination radio-phono- graph. For schools not so equipped, it is a very easy matter to secure, through Recorded Lectures, Inc. or on the open market, an inexpensive piece of equip- ment, with a good reproducing head and arm and a two-speed turntable, which is capable of playing electrical transcrip- tions at 33-1/3 revolutions per minute or ordinary phonograph records at 78 revo- lutions per minute. Such equipment can find wide use in schools and colleges. It can serve music appreciation groups with Victor and Columbia records, or other recordings from any source. Dramatic classes may hear and study masters of the stage from Mauric Evans to Orson Welles. Other departments may hear their own appropriate material, from outstanding sources of authority, and with endlessly repeated renditions from day to day and year to year. The master utterances of our greatest scholars can still be listened to in classrooms after their voices are stilled forever. "Recorded Lectures, Inc." does not propose to choose its own subjects for production. The fullest cooperation from the entire teaching field is cordially in- vited. All comments and suggestions will be welcome, as to what topics should be treated, what problems argued, what controversial matters should be presented from both sides, and what outstanding American scholars should be called upon for discussions within their special fields. Da-Lite Announces Lower Screen Prices Da-Lite Screen Company announces important reductions in the prices of many sizes of Da-Lite Screens. Greatly increased demand in the past year has resulted in economies in the manufac- ture of many of the sizes and has made possible the lower prices. This consti- tutes their third price reduction in the past five years. Da-Lite's popular hanging screen which consists of a glass beaded fabric, spring- roller-mounted in a metal case, is largely used in classroom and lecture rooms in schools, universities and clubs. All sizes of this Model B Screen have been re- duced in price. The 39" x 52" size, for example, is now only $11.50. The 22"x32" is now $6.00; the 30"x40", $7.50; the 40"x40", $9.00; the 52"x52", $13.50. All prices are slightly higher on Pacific Coast. These are only a few of the typi- cal values among the many sizes of the Model B Screen. A new size 84"x84" has also been added. Da-Lite's convenient tripod screen, consisting of glass beaded surface, spring- roller-mounted in a metal case to which a tripod is pivotally and permanently attached, also will have reduced prices on 7 of its 12 sizes. The popular 39"x52" size is now only $20.00. Veteran movie makers may recall that this is the price at which the 30"x40" Challenger used to sell back in 1932. Owners of still cameras who enjoy projecting Kodachrome slides will be glad to know that all of the square sizes of Da-Lite Challengers have been reduced in price. The 40"x40" is now only $16.50. The 12 sizes of the Challenger ranging from 30"x40" up to and including 70"x94", from $12.50 up, meet most class- room needs where portability is a factor. Da-Lite Screens have been famous for their fine picture quality, convenience and durability for 32 years. New literature containing all of the new low prices will be sent upon request. Write Da-Lite Screen Company, Inc., 2723 N. Crawford Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Presto Tiimtable To meet the demand on sound equip- ment distributors for a higher quality re- cording and record playing turntable, Presto Recording Corporation, 242 West 55th Street, New York City, has just released as a separate unit the dual-speed 12" turntable formerly sold only as part of their model K commercial recorder. The new Presto 11-A employs a cast aluminum turntable precision machined to dynamic balance. The table revolves on a single ball bearing as the base of a bronze shaft well. A heavy, live rubber tire is fitted to the rim of the table. A metal pulley on the motor shaft drives directly against the tire, eliminating idler wheels, rubber-tired pulleys and other parts which wear rapidly. A slip-over pulley is re- moved to change speed from 78 to 33 1/3 RPM. The motor and turntable are mounted on a steel base ready for in- stallation in portable or console phono- graph record and 16" transcription players. The 11-A is recommended for use in school reproducing systems, sound effects equipment used in radio stations, record- ing and motion picture studios and for high quality home recording and record- ing playing combinations. Motion Pictures— Not for Theatres (Continued from paye 200) leading role, produced for the Interna- tional Harvester Company by Essanay in 1911, has been called "the first full length reel industrial motion picture made in America." Adoption of the film plan was surely early, although I am uncertain of the date." It is positive, though, that in 1915 the Agriculture Extension Depart- ment of the International Harvester Com- pany maintained an active supply of lantern slides, charts and motion picture reels for "free" distribution in rural com- munities, and that it was sufficiently use- ful and important for relay distribution by agricultural colleges, universities, nor- mal schools and state museums. The concern usually keeps about twenty-five motion picture subjects actively in cir- culation, such titles as "The Triumph of Tractor Power," "Hogs for Pork and Profit" and "Business Management of Business Hens" being representative of those in the list. (To be eontlnued)