Panorama of the Moving Boardwalk - 1900

Country: USA

Release Date: August 1900 (USA)

Filming Locations: Paris, France

Production Co: Edison Manufacturing Company

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Documentary | Short 

This picture was taken from the stationary platform, showing the rapidly moving board walk on the outer edge, which has a speed of five miles per hour; also shows the middle platform moving two and a-half miles per hour, the third platform being stationary. At intervals there are upright posts to steady passengers from one platform to the other. By watching these uprights passing by the camera and passing each other, a good idea of the speed is obtained. The structure is crowded with passengers, some gliding by, standing still, others walking and running and stepping from one platform to the other. Written by Edison Films (1901)   

International News - 1921

Country: United States

This video is one of the very first international new casts in history. It was first realest in the gold age of silent films. Hence the lack of sound. It start with the Knights of Columbus opening a boys home. Babe Ruth giving State Deputy Joseph M Nurre a gift. Theres a mention of an Arms Conference: the Big Four as they were called. President and First Lady Harding was also meeting with persons all over the country at The White House. Sir Harry Lauder came to see inmates. One of the most interesting clips is a Ku Klux Klan Wizard by the name of William J. Simmons appears before a Congressional Committee. The Committee was deciding what to identify the Klan as. There is a clip of the World Series Champions New York Giants. New York City Mayor John Hylan is in it. There is a yacht race in Halifax. There is mention of famine in the Soviet Union, pretty large clip in fact. The Arch of Triumph in Paris gets a Medal of Honor as recognition to the Unknown Hero. There are troop reviews in Europe for the Chief of Staff. Lastly, a clip of men taking a river boat trip.and visitors to Native American in Colorado. This video is in the Public Domain. The Master Copy can be found at the National Archives and Records Administration, Room 4000, 8601 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20740-6001. The Archival Retrieval Catalog (ARC) number is: 88967; 88968

Note: This review was extracted from You Tube.

Panorama of Wreckage of Water Front - 1900

Country: USA

Release Date: September 1900 (USA)

Filming Locations: Galveston, Texas, USA

Production Co: Edison Manufacturing Company

Genres: Short

On September 8th, 1900, the city of Galveston was hit by a hurricane and tidal wave, which would end up costing more than 2500 lives. With winds of up to 135mph, many considered this one of the deadliest storms of its time and the Edison studio sent cameras down there to capture some of the aftermath.

More striking footage from Edison in their Galveston disaster coverage. This film runs just under a minute and takes us to the waterfront where the tidal wave clearly had a major impact on what we're seeing. Just take a look at several of the boats that are wrapped around the docks and the overall damage is just hard to imagine. There are a few seconds of people standing around viewing the damage and there are even a couple boats in the background where no damage has been done so I'm guessing these were coming in to offer support. If you've seen all the Edison films that covered this disaster you know that the damage done was simply amazing. Being able to see this footage today makes you somewhat thankful that Edison sent a crew to film it as it's certainly an important part of history.  

Unsere heimkehrenden Kriegsgefangenen, Wetzlar - 1919

Country: Germany

(c) Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF e.V.

Director: Oskar Barnack

English title: Our Prisoners of War

Return, Wetzlar 1919

Synopsis: German soldiers and former prisoners of war returning from WW I are welcomed at Wetzlar train station.
Note: This review was extracted from you tube.

La Bonne Absinthe - 1899

Country: France

Director: Alice Guy

Also known as: Wonderful Absinthe (USA - DVD title)

Production Co: Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont

Plot Keywords: Absinthe | Propaganda | Propaganda Film

Genres: Short

Chapeaux à transformations - 1895

Country: France

Director: Louis Lumière

Also known as: Hats with Transformations (USA - informal literal English title);  Kalap transzformációk (Hungary); Transformation by Hats (USA); Transformation by Hats, Comic View (USA)

Production Co: Lumière

Genres: Short

In commedia dell'arte style, an actor on a stool presents six distinct characters through speedy application of whiskers and a hat or, in one case, a wig followed by a few gestures. First he becomes the large-nosed squire whipping his horse as he rides in his surrey, then he's a kindly mustachioed ticket taker, next an imperious sea captain with the bearded look of Czar Nicholas. Out comes a light-colored top hat, big nose and handkerchief for the brief appearance of a lugubrious character, followed by a capitalist making a deal in black silk top hat and mustache. Last, white hair, pork-chop sideburns and large mustache capture a retired raconteur.