WSM has received a grant from Humanities New York to develop an online series: "Race Films/Race Matters: Starting Conversations About Race in America." The digital program presents five important race films and corresponding presentations about the films by scholars from Cornell University, Ithaca College, University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, the

Author Barbara Lupack’s Silent Serial Sensations: The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema is in the news as Ms. Lupack has been invited to talk about the Whartons at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy, the world’s leading silent film festival, taking place from October 3-10th, 2020. The book,

Featuring THE FRESHMAN (1925) starring the inimitable Harold Lloyd In this year of the pandemic, and with concern for everyone’s safety and well-being, WSM is thrilled to bring you Silent Movie Under the Stars as a livestream produced by The State Theatre of Ithaca. With live music by Cloud Chamber Orchestra. As always

Kudos to WSM’s wonderful colleague, author and historian Barbara Lupack, on her forthcoming cover story about the Wharton Studio in the summer issue of the New York Archives Magazine published by the NYS Archives Partnership Trust. You can find a short video recorded by Ms. Lupack at https://youtu.be/4aRyCNOSZE8 that is

  You’re Invited to WALK THIS PLAY beginning Friday, July 10, 2020! WSM and The Cherry Arts, in collaboration with The History Center in Tompkins County, proudly present WALK THIS PLAY, a download hub where two unique local walking headphone plays – The Missing Chapter and Storm Country — can be accessed for the first time without

WSM is thrilled to announce it has been loaned a beautiful wooden desk that once was a fixture in the Wharton Studio. Thanks to the generosity of Frank Howe and his family, this elaborately carved desk, used in numerous Wharton films, was purchased by Mr. Howe’s grandmother in the late

  Silents Roar! Film Festival for youth in the Southern Tier took place via livestream on June 18th, 2020 and WSM would like to congratulate all the Winners!  1st Place — The Boogeyman by Spencer Strickland and Colin Rauch (Dryden High School) 2nd Place — 9:05 by Elijah Dardano (Ithaca High School)

Here is a recent review of Silent Serial Sensations: The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema.  Author Barbara Lupack did some of her research for the Wharton Studio book at The History Center  in Ithaca. Ms. Eschenbrenner is THC’s wonderful archivist. Silent Serial Sensations can be ordered through Buffalo Street Books  in

WSM’s 3rd Silents Roar! Film Festival for youth in the Southern Tier takes place Thursday, June 18th, 2020, 7:00-8:00 pm, as a Facebook Live streaming event and we look forward to celebrating the student filmmakers who submitted films this year before COVID-19 appeared and schools closed. For more information visit Events on the

WSM is thrilled to announce the April 15, 2020 publication of Silent Serial Sensations: The Wharton Brothers and the Magic of Early Cinema by Barbara Tepa Lupack. Cornell University Press is releasing this first book-length study of pioneering and prolific filmmakers Theodore and Leopold Wharton, whose motion picture studio —