Harry Birch(1895-1968)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Harry Birch was born in San Francisco in 1894. As a child he lived
through the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. He moved to Los Angeles
when he was a teenager going to work for a an entrepreneur named Kelly
who owned movie studio and theaters. Birch learned the trade of a
projectionist. Kelly opened a theater in Chicago and sent the young
Birch there work. He found his real vocation in Chicago when he became
interested in shooting film and learned how to be a cameraman. He
became a newsreel cameraman for Fox News Reel around 1915, and worked
in that capacity for several years, until he opened his own company
called Birch Films. He continued to shoot news, but went into
promotional films, scenic films, short subjects, industrials, travel
films, etc. Among the noted companies he shot for were Castle Films,
travelogues for Burton Holmes the Man Who Photographed the World:,
Santa Fe RR and the Chicago Northwestern RR, and Wilding Studios the
former production company Essanay Film Manufacturing Studios.
He was on the activities at the "Century of Progress" at Chicago World's Fair of 1933. In 1951 he shot film for a very young Robert Altman directed a film called Modern Football.
When television came into play Harry worked for WBKB the first TV station in Chicago and was in charge of the camera department. Among the studio shows he shoe was the kids puppet show Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and continued to work until he retired at age 65. Harry passed away on 14 August 1968,in Fort Lauderdale, Florida leaving behind a huge body of historical work in both the news and entertainment industries.
He was on the activities at the "Century of Progress" at Chicago World's Fair of 1933. In 1951 he shot film for a very young Robert Altman directed a film called Modern Football.
When television came into play Harry worked for WBKB the first TV station in Chicago and was in charge of the camera department. Among the studio shows he shoe was the kids puppet show Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and continued to work until he retired at age 65. Harry passed away on 14 August 1968,in Fort Lauderdale, Florida leaving behind a huge body of historical work in both the news and entertainment industries.