Few people realise the extent to which the Hollywood movie industry today was shaped in the silent era. Drawing on the resources of The Library of Congress, one of the greatest repositories for silent film and associated memorabilia, Peter Kobel explores the fascinating world of silent film, from its birth in the 1890s, with the earliest narrative shorts, through the full-length features of the Twenties and puts directors, actors and their films into a broad historical perspective. The book also looks at the technology of early film, the use of colour photography and the restoration work being spearheaded by some of Hollywood's most important director such as Scorcese and Francis Ford Coppola. Lavishly illustrated by the Library of Congress's extensive collection of posters, paper prints, film stills and other memorabilia, most of which has never been in print, SILENT MOVIES will take its place as the defining work on this most important and fascinating aspect of American culture.