Before APC

While not a part of the story of the Army Pictorial Center, Signal Corps still and motion picture photography was an important part of Army history and laid the foundation for establishing this important photographic center in Astoria, New York.

 With the advent of online services, many examples of Signal Corps work can be found.  Among those is this topic.

Between the Wars:  The Lincoln Highway

 The Centennial of the 1919 Army Motor Train journey from the White House to Lincoln Park in San Francisco brought some early Signal Corps film work to the attention of Donald M. Scott.  The convoy, to dedicate the Lincoln Highway, included a Signal Corps movie crew, who filmed highlights of much of the journey.

 The trip was also captured in journals kept by Maj. Dwight D. Eisenhow, who accompanied the convoy as an observer.  This experience plus his observation of the military usefulness of high-speed roads in German in World War II led to the creation of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System.

 The film footage taken by the Signal Corps during the trip includes the beginning and end of the trip and several scenes in Nevada and a section on King's Canyon Road between Carson City and Spooner Summit.  You can see the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJKxkfF1D8

Scott also reports, “For an interview  with the author of the book about that journey, see:  https://www.c-span.org/video/?171603-1/american-road

He added, “I live in Carson City, near the old Lincoln.  The stretch from the Lower Kings Falls parking area to Spooner Summit, about 9 miles, is still a road.  Although it's in rough condition, folks still drive it.  I hike part of the old road weekly, weather permitting.”

 

Old Lincoln Highway

This is a section of the old road on the east side of the Sierra.

 

 

 

Signal Corps Photography

 

The beginnings of Signal Corps photography are sketched in Rebecca Robbins Raines’ book, “Getting the Message Through – A Branch History of the U.S. Signal Corps”.

 

Raines wrote about the early use of still photography by the Army:

 

During (the Spanish-American War in Cuba) the Signal Corps also experimented with another device – the camera. Although not an officially assigned function, photography fell within the broad definition of communications. Beginning in 1894 photography had been taught as part of the signal course at Fort Riley, and in 1896 the Corps had published a Manual of Photography written by then 1st Lt. Samuel Reber. While serving in Puerto Rico, Reber used his skills to draw topographical maps based on photographs.61 Moreover, signal companies in all three campaigns carried cameras with which to document their operations. Improvements in photographic technology since the Civil War made combat photography an easier task than it had been for Mathew Brady. Smaller cameras using rolled film had replaced cumbersome glass plates; high-speed shutters and shorter exposure time made action photographs possible.62 Thus began one of the activities with which the Signal Corps is most closely identified—one that has made “Photo by the U.S. Army Signal Corps” a well-known phrase. The Corps displayed a collection of its wartime photos as part of its exhibit at the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York, in the fall of 1901, and some of the photographs were reproduced in Greely’s annual reports for 1898 and 1899.63

 

Raines also described the Army’s early use of motion pictures:

 

Signalmen began documenting (World War I) aboard the Baltic, taking still and motion pictures of Pershing and his staff. The Army controlled all combat photography, and civilian photographers were not permitted to operate within the zone of the AEF. A photographic unit served with each division and consisted of one motion-picture operator, one still photographer, and their assistants. Each army and corps headquarters had a photo detachment of one officer and six men.113 Photographic units also served with such private agencies as the American Red Cross and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) to document their activities. Photographic technology had progressed considerably since the days of Mathew Brady, and a combat photographer in World War I could develop a picture in fifteen minutes using a portable darkroom. By l November 1918 the Signal Corps had taken approximately 30,000 still pictures and 750,000 feet of motion pictures that were used for training, propaganda, and historical purposes. Wartime censorship kept the public from seeing the most graphic images, however. The Signal Corps’ invaluable photographic collection resides today in the National Archives.

 

The Corps also retained its photographic mission, even though it had lost responsibility for aerial photography in 1918. The branch maintained two photographic laboratories in Washington, D.C.; one for motion pictures at Washington Barracks (now Fort Lesley J. McNair), and the other at 1800 Virginia Avenue, Northwest. Among its services, the Signal Corps sold photos to the public. Its collection of still photographs included its own pictures, as well as those taken by other branches. The Corps also operated a fifty-seat motion-picture theater where films could be viewed for official purposes or the public could view films for prospective purchase.54 In 1925 the Signal Corps acquired responsibility for the Army’s pictorial publicity. In this capacity it supervised and coordinated the commercial and news photographers who covered Army activities.55

 

Following their successful use during World War I, the Army increasingly relied upon motion pictures for training purposes. With the advent of sound films in the late 1920s, film production entered a new era. In 1928 the War Department made the Signal Corps responsible for the production of new training films but neglected to allocate any funds. To obtain needed expertise, the Signal Corps called upon the commercial film industry for assistance, and in 1930 the Signal Corps sent its first officer to Hollywood for training sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.56 While photography played a relatively minor role in the Corps’ overall operations, it nonetheless provided valuable documentation of the Army’s activities during the interwar period.

 

Raines’ “Getting the Message Through” was published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.  You can download a complete copy of the book from the Center for Military History.

You can also find this – and many other fine books – at the U.S. Government Publishing Office Bookstore.

And, of course, you can find “Getting the Message Through” in paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon.

 


(Posted September 5, 2018.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4-6, 2019.)

 


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Bill Ricks

Bill Ricks [w.a.ricks@gmail.com] wrote:

I dug out an old picture album, and I have a 5x7 b&W print of the studio building showing four cars in front. Window air conditioners at the third floor.

 

Scroll down to see Bill Ricks' collection of 1967 photos of APC. 

 

Like many of the soldiers who served at APC, Ricks also had his overseas' tour.  He sent this photo from his time in Vietnam:

 

 

(Posted August 14, 2006; updated August 5, 2018.)

 

 

William A. (Bill) Ricks provided these 1967 views from his collection of color slides:

A view of the main studio. My main work area was at one of the visible windows at left. I think it was second floor. We maintained and checked out cameras and other equipment. Also we worked with photographic instrumentation. I recall cannibalizing electronic assemblies.

 

Front of APC main studio at night, from barracks building window.  That center entry opens directly onto the main stage.

 

APC barracks building across the street from the studio. I bunked at the far end, third floor. A TV room and food/beverage area was in the basement.

 

Parking lot behind the barracks. The back door of the mess hall opened on the parking lot, but this is a higher view.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember the name. This was typical view of the barracks.

 

My friend Jim Walch, who worked in personnel. He was able to maneuver the timing of my 30-day leave. It resulted in my landing in Vietnam as Tet was winding up instead of being in the middle of it.

 

Game room. One of the career soldiers would walk in the room in a booming voice, saying "Piece of the action. Best in the house."

 

 

(Posted November 3, 2010; updated August 5, 2018.; updated February 4-6, 2019.)

 


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Updated February 7, 2019.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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    Updated February 7, 2019.
 
 

 

 


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    Updated February 7, 2019.
 
 

 

 


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    Updated February 7, 2019.
 
 

 

James Franklin Kilian

John Kilian wrote:

My father, at the time Technician Fifth Grade James Franklin Kilian, 168th Signal Photographic Company, entered Berlin with Frank Capra as the Russians were occupying the city, prior to VE Day.  We have pictures of Frank Capra and Bob Boyle, and the rest of the Army team, in the streets, and on “house arrest” for three days, since the Russians detained them until their release was negotiated.  The best pictures were sent to a historian researching this series of events, but he never returned the photos.

Dad did not talk much about it.  We found out about this when we saw his picture in Cornelius Ryan’s “Last Battle”  late one night - Russians and Americans meeting. He was asleep and we woke him up and asked him about it.  He said, “yes, that was me", and went back to sleep. He did not talk much about the war. Our mother filled us in later, when we found photos after he died. 

We would sincerely appreciate any information you have on this - happy to send photos we have. Aside from photos, information is verbal family history.  There was a 20th Century film (the series with the Rock of Gibraltar icon…) at the Brandenburg Gate on VE Day where we saw him in a crowd of Russians…obvious because of the way his helmet overhung his thin face.  Have not been able to find that film either.

Posted February 8, 2019.

 


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James Franklin Kilian

John Kilian wrote:

My father, at the time Technician Fifth Grade James Franklin Kilian, 168th Signal Photographic Company, entered Berlin with Frank Capra as the Russians were occupying the city, prior to VE Day.  We have pictures of Frank Capra and Bob Boyle, and the rest of the Army team, in the streets, and on “house arrest” for three days, since the Russians detained them until their release was negotiated.  The best pictures were sent to a historian researching this series of events, but he never returned the photos.

Dad did not talk much about it.  We found out about this when we saw his picture in Cornelius Ryan’s “Last Battle”  late one night - Russians and Americans meeting. He was asleep and we woke him up and asked him about it.  He said, “yes, that was me", and went back to sleep. He did not talk much about the war. Our mother filled us in later, when we found photos after he died. 

We would sincerely appreciate any information you have on this - happy to send photos we have. Aside from photos, information is verbal family history.  There was a 20th Century film (the series with the Rock of Gibraltar icon…) at the Brandenburg Gate on VE Day where we saw him in a crowd of Russians…obvious because of the way his helmet overhung his thin face.  Have not been able to find that film either.

Posted February 8, 2019.

 


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What Was APC/SCPC?

At the start of World War II, the U. S. Army acquired a defunct motion picture studio at 35th Avenue and 35th Street in Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York, taking over  in February 1942.  The studio became the Signal Corps Photographic Center, later Army Pictorial Center, home to filmmakers and still photographers who covered the war and who produced countless training films.

The studio was built in 1919 as Famous Players-Lasky ("Famous Players in Famous Plays") to take advantage of the availability of talent on nearby Broadway and in the New York area.  It was subsequently converted for sound pictures.  As Paramount's east coast center, it was shuttered in the Depression.

After serving as the Army's photographic center, studio and film library for 28 years, the Army Pictorial Center was ordered closed in 1970. The studio fell into disuse, but was subsequently sold and renovated as Kaufman Astoria Studios, now a production center for top filmmakers.

About the name

When it was established in 1942, the studio was designated by the Army as the Signal Corps Photographic Center.  Later, it was called the Signal Corps Pictorial Center, and this is the title you see at the end of films like the Big Picture series.  Finally it was called the Army Pictorial Center.

The History

The history of SCPC/APC is told in the Army's history of World War II.  Here's an excerpt from "U. S. Army in World War II: The Technical Series: The Signal Corps: The Test," at page 390:

The Signal Corps own production facilities expanded rapidly in the first year of war, but for some months the Army's photographic needs grew even faster. By midyear 1942 the widening scope of responsibilities had raised the Photographic Division of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer to the organizational level of a "service," designated the Army Pictorial Service (APS) on 17 June.

Pearl Harbor brought to an abrupt close the debate over whether or not the Signal Corps should purchase the Paramount Studio at Astoria, Long Island, which was on the market. For months, Col. Melvin E. Gillette, commander of the Signal Corps Training Film Production Laboratory (SCTFPL) at Fort Monmouth, had argued for the purchase. It would provide an up-to-date plant where all training film production, processing, and distribution could be consolidated, leaving the Signal Corps Photographic Laboratory (SCPL) at Washington free to concentrate on still picture production.  On 12 December 1941 the Chief Signal Officer urged that the studio be bought without delay. By this time Paramount was less eager to sell, fearing to concentrate all its production on the west coast lest the Japanese attack that area. After some hesitation the firm consented and the property was acquired.

In February 1942 the War Department authorized the Chief Signal Officer to activate the plant as the Signal Corps Photographic Center (SCPC), an exempted activity under his control.  After alterations had been made to provide accommodations for troops, the Photographic Ceriter opened in May, with Colonel Gillette in command. The modest Fort Monmouth Training Film Production Laboratory moved over to Long Island. The replacement training center's courses in still photography were transferred also and consolidated with the motion picture courses of the laboratory to form the Training Division of the new Signal Corps Photographic Center.  After six months of war the Signal Corps had an up-to-date plant for producing films and for training photographic technicians.
 


 


The cameraman's tool, above:  "Motion Picture Field Caption Sheet," a half-inch thick 4x6-inch booklet of tear-off sheets ...


... that recorded the information for Army filmmakers, for the film library at the Motion Picture Depository, and for countless documentary producers ever since.

 

What was the Army post known first as Signal Corps Photographic Center and later as Army Pictorial Center?

The center was a full service motion picture and still photographic production, distribution and storage facility with all the capabilities of any movie studio in the world.  It was one of the answers to the military challenges of World War II.

Army planners understood the need for training and propaganda material on an unprecedented scale.  America had to convert hundreds of thousands of civilians into combat-ready soldiers and airmen, people from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and from all levels of education and skill.  Reaching large audiences who represented widely varied levels of education and literacy meant using motion pictures and still photos.  While it might be – and was -- possible to contract with existing film companies to produce training films, the Army saw a need to manage its own, dedicated studio where operations could be fully controlled and where sensitive or classified material could be prepared and stored with confidence.

It may be difficult for people today to understand how different the culture was in the early 1940s.  About 90 percent of the population went to the movies at least once a week.  Commercial television was still years away, so movie newsreels and short subject supplied visual news and information.  The Army saw the need to inform and educate the public about the threat the country faced and what the country was doing to meet that threat.  The Army was also preparing to train hundreds of thousands of soldiers about a bewildering range of topics.  These were people who were already familiar with the motion picture as an information source.  The way to reach these vast audiences, of civilians and of GIs, was through the motion picture.

And so, in May 1942, Army troops entered the former Paramount eastern services studio in Astoria, New York, and began preparing the place for work.  Some of those G.I.s of 1942 stayed with the studio in peacetime.  Sergeant Joseph J. Lipkowicz was with the SCPC unit when it marched in on the first day in 1942, and he retired as civilian chief of Camera Branch when it closed in 1970. Those who were there on that first day remember setting to work to clean out the place, throwing out old movie props and unneeded equipment to make way for the Army … which then spent the next three decades collecting its own unique set of props and equipment.

Signal Corps Photographic Center became a home for many skilled individuals who served in World War II.  Memories of soldiers indicate that a background or talent in film production or photography could be a ticket to assignment to SCPC.  Personnel who served there ranged from well-known industry names like Frank Capra and John Huston to countless, uncredited GIs and civilians who made the place work. 

SCPC/APC had all the facilities of a complete movie studio.  The main stage was the largest sound stage on the east coast, making it possible to prepare large sets or to construct multiple smaller sets for fast production.  There were also smaller stages.  Facilities included offices for writers and producers, a sound mixing room, screening rooms, animation and special effects departments, laboratory, library, and all the other elements needed to produce films.  It was a one-stop shop for film production.

The film and photographic library, the Army Motion Picture Depository, stored and distributed films produced by and for the Army.  The library served as a single, central source for Army film.  It held raw footage and combat film from around the world and, ultimately, from across three decades.  It was the place where Army units could request training films.  It was also the source where filmmakers, including civilian producers, could come to find documentary footage of Army operations.  Distribution and control was simplified by concentrating on this single repository.

The laboratory provided on-site processing, so handling, security, screening of daily footage was simplified.

Soldier and civilian workers made SCPC/APC their home base while traveling around the world to cover Army activities.  Combat cameramen shipped their footage to Astoria.  People rotated in and out of the studio, going off to other assignments or to temporary duty, and then returning.  Temporary duty – TDY – became a way of life as crews were shipped to Army camps and combat theaters to cover events and to shoot footage for Army productions.  Those frequent travels remained a hallmark of life at the center. 

The studio always featured a mix of military and civilian personnel.  The post was commanded by an Army colonel.  During World War II, many of the talented filmmakers were experienced civilians who volunteered or had been drafted for military duty.  Famous names of the era received officer’s commissions, like Lt. Col. Capra.  Others served at lower ranks, like Pvt. William Saroyan. 

Troop Command supplied barracks for the soldiers.  Former soldiers recall memories of SCPC troop units marching the city streets of Queens … after all, this was the Army.  Bemused city residents would watch as soldiers blocked traffic at intersections to let the marching troops pass.

Many others who worked there lived in the New York area, and many of those who started as G.I.s and stayed as civilians remained as residents in the region.

The Army gained the same benefit from the studio’s location that former owner Paramount (and subsequent owner Kaufman Astoria Studios) enjoyed.  New York offered a wealth of talent for film.  Not only were actors readily available from the stage-film-radio-television scene of the city, but producers, directors, writers, cameramen, sound operators, and other skilled crew members were on call.

The studio developed a dedicated staff of operational personnel who handled the less glamorous but necessary work needed to make films, such as lab technicians, film librarians, artists, printers, shipping clerks, and on and on.

Films produced at the center met a wide range of needs.  In the beginning, production was done in 35mm – mainly black and white, of course.  Combat and field coverage – often shot with Eyemo and Filmo cameras – included both 35mm and 16mm footage.  Distribution was often on 16mm film for showing in field conditions but also on 35mm for presentation in theaters.  Later, color film became a staple, and field production began to rely on 16mm color negative, although 35mm remained the preferred stock for stage productions. 

While often recognized for training films that taught soldiers everything from personal hygiene to camouflage, the center produced, distributed and archived just about every kind of film, including the extensive archive of combat footage.  In addition to training troops, films were made to influence civilian populations both at home and abroad.  Franks Capra’s “Why We Fight” series gave American citizens understanding of World War II.  In the Cold War era, “The Big Picture” told stories of history and current events to a national television audience.  Training films used skilled actors, convincing sets and dramatic scripts to visualize the lessons being taught.  The results were films that made a lasting impression on their G.I. audiences, illustrated by the many requests the studio received over the years from commanders who sought obsolete and long-retired titles that were so memorable from their own training days.

Using its studio capabilities, the Army mounted everything from elaborate musical scenes to mundane office sets.  On the main stage, you might find a field commander’s World War II tent or a Civil War battlefield.

Combat coverage spanned three wars – World War II, Korea and Vietnam – with photographers and crews from the center travelling to all of the fighting fronts.  During World War II, when air power was still the Army Air Force, combat camera crews brought back film of the air war as well as ground combat.  While soldiers all around loaded and fired weapons, SCPC cameramen in those same foxholes would be changing film and capturing some of the most enduring pictures in history. 

The center was well equipped and made a point of keeping up with, and sometimes setting the trend for, new production techniques. 

Sound Branch converted from optical film to magnetic tape to mix sound tracks when the new technology became available.  And that department pioneered the use of music-and-effects, or M&E, tracks, where the mix of sound tracks without dialogue or narration was recorded separately to allow revision of the voice track if needed. 

Special Effects, the mechanical and physical effects department, included such capabilities as rear projection, state of the art for that era.  And that department pioneered the use of linked-focus cameras on copy stands, to shoot camera moves of flat art, an essential tool for a studio that used a lot of maps, titles and photos in its films.

Animation could produce fully animated films.  When the Army closed the studio, the Animation Department was still using an animation stand that had been built by soldier John Oxberry, whose Oxberry brand became the industry standard.

Camera Branch stocked an extensive set of cameras, lenses, dollies, cranes and related equipment, including an assortment of then-industry-standard Mitchell 35mm cameras such as the studio standard BNC model.  In later years, the center kept up with an industry trend and added Arriflex models. 

The studio also collected a surprising variety of antique equipment, items that were props, relics of early days or tools needed for a special job.  For example, Sound Branch retained a disc recorder capable of playing the soundtrack records from Vitaphone days.  Camera Branch held an extensive array of hand-cranked cameras – such as 35mm Universals, Pathes and others – from the silent film era.

The films of APC/SCPC were quality productions, winning many awards over the years, including two Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards – Oscars – and several other nominations.

APC/SCPC was a unique, single-purpose facility that served the Army and the nation well, in time of wartime need and peacetime opportunity, to train soldiers and to inform civilians.  It’s output of training and information films made a significant contribution to the speed of America’s response to world war after Pearl Harbor.  The studio was the ultimate weapon in a war of mobilization and training, of information and ideas. 

 

Posted February 8, 2019.

 


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What Was APC/SCPC?

At the start of World War II, the United States Army acquired a defunct motion picture studio at 35th Avenue and 35th Street in Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York, taking over  in February 1942.  The studio became the Signal Corps Photographic Center, later Army Pictorial Center, home to filmmakers and still photographers who covered the war and who produced countless training films.

"We had everything calculated," said Nazi Field Marshal Von Keitel after WWI, "except the speed with which the Allies were able to train their troops ... our major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education."

 

Posted February 8, 2019.

 


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APC

At the start of World War II, the United States Army acquired a defunct motion picture studio at 35th Avenue and 35th Street in Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York, taking over  in February 1942.  The studio became the Signal Corps Photographic Center, later Army Pictorial Center, home to filmmakers and still photographers who covered the war and who produced countless training films.

"We had everything calculated," said Nazi Field Marshal Von Keitel after WWI, "except the speed with which the Allies were able to train their troops ... our major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education."

 

Updated February 8, 2019.

 


Help Requested

Personnel Roster

Films

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APC on the Web

After APC

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APC

At the start of World War II, the United States Army acquired a defunct motion picture studio at 35th Avenue and 35th Street in Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York, taking over  in February 1942.  The studio became the Signal Corps Photographic Center, later Army Pictorial Center, home to filmmakers and still photographers who covered the war and who produced countless training films.

"We had everything calculated," said Nazi Field Marshal Von Keitel after WWI, "except the speed with which the Allies were able to train their troops ... our major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education."

 

Updated February 8, 2019.

 


Help Requested

Personnel Roster

Films

Images

Memories

APC on the Web

After APC

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Help Requested

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Films

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APC on the Web

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Help Requested

Personnel Roster

Films

Images

Memories

APC on the Web

After APC

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Books

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Search

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Help Requested

Personnel Roster

Films

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APC on the Web

After APC

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