Table of Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations, Unidentified Films and Historical Currencies -- Introduction -- 1. The Story Behind the Collection: A Career and Its Perspectives -- 2. Film Distribution as the Missing Link -- 3. The Career in Perspective -- I. La Comète Belge: Jean Desmet's Travelling Cinema, The Imperial Bio (1907-1910) -- 1. Desmet's Debut in Dutch Film Culture -- 2. Lutte pour la Vie: Jean Desmet on the Fairground -- 3. The Imperial Bio Grand Cinematograph -- II. In The Beginning...: Film Distribution in the Netherlands -- 1. Nöggerath -- 2. Pathé -- 3. Fresh Developments -- III. Gold Rush: In the Throes of Cinema Mania (1909-1914) -- 1. Desmet in Rotterdam -- 2. Desmet Goes to Amsterdam -- 3. The Hierarchy of Permanent Cinemas -- 4. New Desmet Cinemas Outside Amsterdam: the Gezelligheid in Rotterdam, the Cinema Palace in Bussum -- IV. Film Market Europe: Buying Films Abroad (1910-1914) -- 1. Second-Hand Films (1910-1912) -- 2. Between Brussels and Berlin. Desmet's Purchases 1912-1914 -- 3. Survey of Desmet's Purchases 1910-1914 -- V. White Slave Girls and German Kultur: Film Rental and Distribution Strategies in the -- 1. The Beginnings of Desmet's Distribution Business and the Consolidation of His Clientele (1910-1912) -- 2. Films by the Kilometre -- 3. 'Monopoly' Films. Distributing the Exclusive Film in the Netherlands (1913-1914) -- 4. Mature Clients. Desmet's Shifting Clientele (1912-1914) -- 5. Expansion. Distribution in Belgium, the Dutch East Indies and Elsewhere -- VI. Onésime et Son Collègue: Competition (1910-1914) -- 1. Gildemeijer versus Desmet. The Tug-of-War for Asta Nielsen -- 2. Desmet versus Pathé. Competitor and Client -- 3. Nöggerath, Desmet and the Italian Costume Epics -- 4. New Competitors -- 5. The Ranks Close. The Trade Journals and Control of the Cinemas.

VII. Das Ende vom Lied: The Impact of the First World War (1914-1916) -- 1. The Impact of the Outbreak of the First World War on the Dutch Film Trade and Film Availability in the Netherlands -- 2. Jean Desmet's Wartime Purchases -- 3. Desmet's Wartime Clientele -- 4. Mounting Competition -- VIII. Quo Vadis?: Desmet's Film Rental and Cinema Operation -- 1. The Exhibition and Reception of Desmet's Films During the War Years -- 2. Desmet's Cinema Operations and Dutch Cinemas (1914-1916) -- 3. New Cinemas in the Desmet Family -- IX. Afterlife: A New Career and the Beginning of a Collection -- 1. The Dutch Film World from 1916. The Demise of Desmet as a Motion Picture Exhibitor -- 2. Desmet's Activities after 1916 -- 3. The End of Desmet's Film Distribution Business -- 4. Jean Desmet's Career after the First World War: Cinema Royal and the Flora Project -- 5. From Film Stocks to Museum Pieces -- X. In Retrospect: Jean Desmet's Place in Film History -- 1. The Netherlands in an International Perspective: 'Open' and 'Closed' Situations -- 2. The Institutionalisation, Internationalisation and Localisation of Cinema -- 3. Who's in Charge? -- 4. Between Conservatism and Modernity -- 5. Business Archive or Trade Press? -- 6. The Perspective of the Present -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Photo Credits -- Index of Film Titles -- General Index.