The Curse of the Forest- 1916

In 1916 the Department of Forestry hired the Vitagraph Company to produce an educational film about fire prevention and the work of state foresters. "The Curse of the Forest," originally silent, was filmed on the grounds of the state forestry academy at Mont Alto and featured a staged forest fire. The Department purchased one copy in 1916, which quickly began to show signs of wear. Duplicates were ordered, and at some point sound was added. Little is left of the original, which was shown to more than 200,000 people over the course of its life. In the film, foresters use rakes and drip torches to contain a forest fire by clearing brush and setting “backfires.” They then use backpack water pumps and larger, gasoline-fueled pumps to extinguish the fire. Fire-prevention tools such as those used in the film are on display in the PA Lumber Museum exhibits.

Видео The Curse of the Forest- 1916 канала Pennsylvania Lumber Museum