Cinematic Era: 1899 Vintage

"Positively the most realistic and exciting fire run ever offered to exhibitors. It shows the entire horseless fire department of Boston, accompanied by the old style apparatus which is run by horses running at terrific pace down Batterymarch Street, Boston, on its way to a fire. There are four horseless engines, and the black smoke rolls from the smokestakes in great volumes. Another view on this same film shows a portion of the Boston fire department making a quick hitch in the engine-house and running out with the horses on a gallop."

Naval Exercise, United Kingdom

Part of the 'Giant Postcards' series, a filmed entr'acte screened during the play 'De Nieuwe Prikkel' by August Reyding. Camilla and Roland take the pont across the IJ to go to the Tolhuis amusement park.

Members of the 'Savage South Africa' troupe at Southampton Docks. The film shows a group of Africans (Zulus) in full tribal attire at Southampton docks.

This is a ladies cycling display in the summer of 1899 in London, England. It is a display/show by the Catford Cycling Club.

This scene is laid in a barber shop. A customer enters and takes his seat in the chair. The barber places the cloth about his neck, sharpens his razor, and then goes mad. He seizes a huge knife, cuts the man's head off, and takes it to a table some distance away. There he lathers and shaves the face; then taking the head back to the chair, he places it in his proper position on the trunk. The customer thereupon rises, none the worse for his experience, pays his bill, and leaves the shop.

In [Admiral] Dewey land parade.

Local workers climb the slope pushing carts.

A couple are making love beneath the window of a cranky old gentleman. There is a handsome window garden above them filled with plants and flowers. The old gentleman throws out a rope upon the lovers to annoy them. They, not knowing what it is, seize it and pull the window garden down upon themselves.

"A novel form of aquatic sports at Bath Beach. This has a very humorous effect in reversed motion."

"This is taken from the front end of a locomotive following an express train at high speed around the high curves, from the 104th to 116 Street station. During the trip, Grant's Tomb, Columbia College buildings, the new Cathedral of St. John The Divine, and Morningside Park, as well as a portion of the north end of Central Park are visible."

Queen Victoria seated in her carriage with her back to the camera (on the left hand side of the frame, barely visible), and surrounded by invited guests, acknowledges the salutes of the officers as the 1st and 2nd Life Guards (in khaki) march before her at Spital Barracks, Windsor.

A scene performed by a shinpa troupe.

"The umpire makes a decision that Casey doesn't like, and an argument follows, during which Casey deftly trips him up, and continues the argument on the ground. The other players run from the bench and join in the rumpus. The fielders come running in and the pile on the home plate looks like a foot ball scrimmage. A solemn warning to all rotten umpires."

Reportage about the visit that the delegates to the First Peace Conference at The Hague made to the floral parade in Haarlem. [...] Although the original goal – a treaty on disarmament – was not reached, other treaties were indeed agreed upon, for example a ban on the use of poison gas and the dropping of bombs from balloons. [...]The group, consisting of 175 guests, made a special train trip to Haarlem on June 4, where they visited the floral parade and the Frans Hals Museum.

Chrysis, a Greek priestess, is being fanned by her servant, who helps her get dressed before they both walk off.

Parade of shepherds leading their flock in the street.

Parade of mountaineers and shepherds guiding their flocks in a street.

A battalion of infantry parading somewhere near Turin.

Soldiers parade to the sound of military marches during the inauguration ceremony of Victor Emanuel II's monument in Turin.

People enjoying themselves in a swimming pool.

Sardinian horsemen parading, in traditional costumes.

A man and his balancing dogs.

The quadrille enter the arena with alguazils leading the paseíllo.

"A splendid marching picture of the brave Gordons in bearskins and kilts passing before Lord Wolseley."

Up the road comes a detachment of infantry, firing, advancing, kneeling and firing, again and again...

Edison released this as part of their "Northern Pacific Rainway" and "Alaska and Yellowstone National Park" series.

A military procession.

A close view of an eighty-footer, schooner rigged, trim as a private yacht, skimming over the waters of the harbor, near Robins' Reef, which picturesque light house is seen in the near background. A steamer decked with bunting also passed by at close range.

The Buffoons are artists in their line. They tumble in and out of trick doors, disappear and reappear in unexpected places in most unexpected ways. Sure to amuse the children.

This picture ... centers about some guard ropes moving about, perhaps in the wind, perhaps as the platform the movie is taken from rolls about, while in the background, a procession of ships goes by.

A simple - and simply mesmerising - film of waves breaking on a rocky shore.

Short actuality showing Kaiser Wilhelm II visiting Portsmouth, including views associated with Nelson’s flagship H.M.S. Victory. Produced in Britain during the late-Victorian boom in topical films, it records the Kaiser’s naval-themed stop at the Royal Navy’s principal base.

"In this picture is shown a group of ten of the most magnificent St. Bernard dogs in the world; all of them being many times prize winners. The dogs come across the lawn with their keeper, and stop in front of the camera, at which they look curiously."

Two mounted bay horses follow each other in line.

An actuality film of the P&O troopship Nubia departing Southampton for the Boer War in South Africa on 21st October 1899. War had been declared on the 11th October so this departure forms part of a number of chartered ships leaving from around Britain every day. According to the BFI programme notes, the Nubia docked at Cape Town on 13 Nov 1899, after sailing for 23 days. The soldiers onboard included the 1st Battaliion Scots Guards and 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire regiment. These soldiers first saw action 10 days after docking on 23rd November at the Battle of Belmont. This film was made and distributed by the Fuerst Brothers in London.

A boy leaves a surprise for a couple sitting down for dinner.

Leopoldo Fregoli plays the guitar to set-up a gag.

A man with a heavy beard and long hair comes into a barber shop. The barber wets down his hair, does a thorough job of cutting, leaving customer with a big bald patch, then wets down his hair again, and the man leaves with his hair intact as at the start.

[DUPLICATE of 'Away Aloft'] Portsmouth training

Sailors practice rescuing someone who's fallen overboard.

Taken from the front end of a locomotive following an express train at high speed around the high curves of the Ninth Avenue Elevated, from the 104th to 116th Street station. This section, with its reverse curve, is known as "The Big Loop", and is the highest (at over 100 feet) and most dangerous section on the New York Elevated. During the trip, Grant's Tomb, Columbia College buildings, the new Cathedral of St. John The Divine, and Morningside Park, as well as a portion of the north end of Central Park are visible.

An excellent picture of this popular excursion boat, taken on the second day of the International Cup Race Oct. 5, 1899. The racing yacht 'Columbia' appears at anchor in the background.

Film produced by William K. Dickson’s British Mutoscope and Biograph Company.

This rapid panorama isn't as smooth as the average 'Phantom Ride' - an early example of 'shaky-cam' war photography? Filmmaker WKL Dickson asked that the British public 'not too severely judge this picture,' demonstrating not only his awareness of the poorer quality of the image, but also his recognition of the importance of its content. The sequence is a military twist on the popular 'phantom ride' genre, captured from a moving train, and shows glimpses of the troops at rest. In sharp contrast to parade films this film shows soldiers and horses out of formation, providing insight into everyday life in camp.

Soldiers play cards and jeer as shells burst around them.

Out at sea with boats passing by.

"This is a street scene. The rain has just ceased, and passers-by are lowering their umbrellas. A well-dressed young man meets a pretty girl beneath an awning over a shop door. While they are standing there, the shopkeeper lowers the awning, which has accumulated a lot of water, and the two are thoroughly drenched. This picture has made a big hit."

Builders fight on the scaffold of Paul's new studio until one falls and is injured.

He throws off his coat, takes the rope in his mouth, dives from the raft into the river, and under a hot fire swims to the opposite shore, which is lined with Filipinos, hauling the raft after him and safely landing his men, who put the Filipinos to flight. Highly exciting and true to history.

The busy Frederick Street in Berlin.

Military parade in Germany.