author

M. (Maurice) Jackson-Wrigley

1886–1972

An early writer on cinema’s educational power, this British author argued that film could do far more than entertain. His work captures a moment when moving pictures were just beginning to be taken seriously in schools, libraries, and public life.

1 Audiobook

The film : $b Its use in popular education

The film : $b Its use in popular education

by M. (Maurice) Jackson-Wrigley

About the author

Born in 1886, Maurice Jackson-Wrigley is known today for writing about film at a time when cinema was still a young medium. Project Gutenberg identifies him as the author of The Film: Its Use in Popular Education, originally published in London by Grafton & Co. in 1922.

That book makes his interests clear: he saw film as a practical tool for teaching and public education, not only as popular amusement. He wrote about how moving pictures could help explain subjects more vividly and widen access to knowledge, which gives his work a forward-looking place in early writing on cinema.

Jackson-Wrigley also co-authored The Cinema: Historical, Technical and Bibliographical, published in 1939 with Eric Leyland. Even from these surviving records, he stands out as a thoughtful commentator on film’s history, technology, and social value. He died in 1972.