America on early Film  --  the turn of the century 1896 - 1915

All 222 of these early film shorts are original Edison Kinetoscope films produced for Kinetograph viewers or Mutoscope films produced for Mutoscope viewers.  These 222 motion pictures present a rare animated record of America at the the turn of the century.  All films are black and white and silent as originally produced.  There is no background audio.

Some of the things you will see on this three volume set are European immigrants arriving and being processed at Ellis Island,  the Statue of Liberty, the American Falls (Niagara Falls), the early construction of a skyscraper, the demolition of the Star Theatre in time lapse photography, the new NY subway system, panoramas of the Flatiron building, Riker's Island and the Brooklyn Bridge as well as some of New York's finest -- the Police and Firefighters of the time.   At the turn of the century, New York was the preeminent American city; it represented the "new metropolis." The great waves of European immigrants coming to New York, the consolidation of the five boroughs into one vast city, the development of the city's infrastructure, and the incredible construction boom of the next thirty years all contributed to the city's prominence. In many of the New York films chronicled in Volume I, 66 in all,  there is a sense of pride, or perhaps a celebration of the emergence of the great metropolis. 

Volume II of this three DVD set looks at how Americans spent their leisure time.  Film clips of amusement parks like Coney island to some of the famous expositions of the time, like the St. Louis Exposition and the Pan American Exposition are chronicled on film.  Other leisure activities like boxing, baseball, football, ice skating, roller skating, auto racing, boat racing and canoeing are featured.  Parades like the St Patrick's Day Parade, the Atlantic City Floral Parade and the Annual Baby Parade in Asbury Park, New Jersey are just some of the film clips that are featured on Volume II, plus much much more!!!

Volume III show a wide variety of jobs from the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, including industrial jobs, cattle breeding in the West, logging and ice manufacturing in the North and West, and public service jobs such as the police and fire fighters. A series of films taken of the U.S. Postal Office's operations in 1903 is a special highlight of the collection. Most of the postal films were taken in Washington, D.C., quite possibly at the Washington City Post Office (first occupied in 1898 and still standing today, known as the Old Post Office Pavilion).  For our ancestors, working conditions were often harsh.  Hours were long, typically ten to twelve hours a day. Working conditions were frequently unsafe and in some cases led to deadly accidents.   If you have a tendency to complain about your job today, take a look at the ice manufacturing films or the logging operations in Maine.  After viewing these films of our ancestors at work, you probably never will complain about your job ever again. 

---

Here is the Complete List of Films on this three DVD Set

Total Viewing Time:  approximately 440 minutes (over 7 hours)

DVD Volume I -- 66 Films of Early New York at the Turn of the Century

1896-1898 (6 Films)

American Falls from Above,  American Side  

Buffalo Fire Department in Action

Buffalo Police on parade

Sleighing Scene

Statue of Liberty  

Waterfall in the Catskills

1899 (7 Films)

104th Street Curve - New York Elevated Railway

New Brooklyn to New York via the Brooklyn Bridge

New York Police Parade, June 1st, 1899

Pilot Boats in New York Harbor

President McKinley’s Funeral Cortege in New York – Part 1

President McKinley’s Funeral Cortege in New York – Part 2

President McKinley’s Funeral Cortege in New York – Part 3  

1900 (1 Film)

Automobile Parade  

1901 (2 Films)

Albany , N.Y. – Fire Department

What Happened on Twenty-third Street, New York City  

1902 (5 Films)  

A Perilous Proceeding

Beginning of a Skyscraper

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Parade

Skating on Lake, Central Park , 1902

Star Theatre  

 

1903 (28 Films)

At the Foot of the Flatiron

Broadway & Union Square, New York

Delivering Newspapers

Elevated Railroad, New York

Emigrants (i.e. Immigrants) Landing at Ellis Island

Excavating for a New York Foundation

Fireboat "New Yorker" in Action--Excerpts

Lower Broadway

Move On

N.Y. Fire Department Returning

New York City "Ghetto" Fish Market

New York City Dumping Wharf

New York Harbor Police Boat Patrol Capturing Pirates

Opening of New East River Bridge, New York

Panorama from the Tower of the Brooklyn Bridge

Panorama of Blackwell's Island, N.Y.

Panorama of Flatiron Building

Panorama of Riker's Island, N.Y.

Panorama Water Front and Brooklyn Bridge from East River

Parade of "Exempt" Firemen

Parade of Horses on Speedway

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island – Part 1

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island – Part 2

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island – Part 3

Shooting the Chutes – Luna Park – Coney Island

Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River

Sorting Refuse at Incinerating Plant, New York City

White Wings on Review  

1904 (5 Films)

Annual Parade – New York Fire Department

Arrival of Emigrants (i.e. Immigrants), Ellis Island

Auto Boat racing on the Hudson

Children in the Surf - Coney Island

Opening the Williamsburg Bridge  

1905 (8 Films)

Bargain day, 14th Street, New York

Departure of Perry (and the) "Roosevelt" from New York

Funeral of Hiram Cronk

Interior N.Y. Subway, 14th St. to 42nd St. , Part 1

Interior N.Y. Subway, 14th St. to 42nd St. , Part 2

Panorama from Times Building, New York

Pennsylvania Tunnel Excavation  

Wrestling at the New York Athletic Club  

1906 (4 Films)

The Skyscrapers of New York , Part 1

The Skyscrapers of New York , Part 2

The Skyscrapers of New York , Part 3  

Claremont Theatre

 

DVD Vol II - 75 Films on America at Leisure at the Turn of the Century

 

Amusement Parks (6 Films)

Children in the Surf, Coney Island
Rube and Mandy at Coney Island (Part 1)

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island (Part 2)

Rube and Mandy at Coney Island (Part 3)

Shooting the Chutes
Shooting the Chutes, Luna Park , Coney Island  

 

Boxing (3 Films)

Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph
Leonard-Cushing Fight
International Contest for the Heavyweight Championship-Squires vs. Burns 

 

Expositions (22 Films)
A Glimpse of the San Diego Exposition (Part 1)

A Glimpse of the San Diego Exposition (Part 2)

Asia in America, St. Louis Exposition
Circular Panorama of Electric Tower
Esquimax Game of Snap-the-Whip
Esquimax Leap-Frog
Esquimax Village
Horse Parade at the Pan-American Exposition
Japanese Village
Midway of Charleston Exposition
Opening Ceremonies, St. Louis Exposition
Opening, Pan-American Exposition
Pan-American Exposition by Night
Panorama of Esplanade by Night
Panoramic View of Charleston Exposition
Panoramic View of Electric Tower from a Balloon
Parade of Floats, St. Louis Exposition
Sham Battle at the Pan-American Exposition (Part 1)

Sham Battle at the Pan-American Exposition (Part 2)
Spanish Dancers at the Pan-American Exposition
A Trip Around the Pan-American Exposition (Part 1)

A Trip Around the Pan-American Exposition (Part 2)

 

Games (6 Films)

Chicago-Michigan Foot ball Game (Part 1)

Chicago-Michigan Foot ball Game (Part 2)

Hockey Match on the Ice 

Princeton and Yale Football Game 

The Ball Game (Baseball)

Wrestling at the New York Athletic Club

 

Leisure Activities (8 Films)
Rube Couple at County Fair (Part 1)

Rube Couple at County Fair (Part 2)

Claremont Theatre , N.Y.

Easter Sunday, Atlantic City Boardwalk

Sleighing Scene 

Coaches arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs
Tourists Going Round Yellowstone Park

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Parade 

 

Leisure Sports (7 Films)

Canoeing on the Charles River , Boston , Mass.  

Babies Rolling Eggs
Tossing Eggs 

Bass Fishing
Brook Trout Fishing 

Skating on Lake , Central Park  

The Roller Skate Craze 

 

Parades (9 Films)

Annual Baby Parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N.J.(Part 1)

Annual Baby Parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N.J.(Part 2)
Annual Parade, New York Fire Department
Atlantic City Floral Parade
Buffalo Police on Parade
Labor Day Parade
Parade of Floats, St. Louis Exposition
Procession of Floats
St. Patrick's Day Parade, Lowell, Mass. 

 

Racing (6 Films)

Auto Boat Race on the Hudson

Automobile Race for the Vanderbilt Cup 

Boat Race

"Columbia" Winning the Cup 

Free-for-all Race at Charter Oak Park
Racing at Sheepshead Bay

Swimming (8 Films)
Bathing at Atlantic City
Boys Diving, Honolulu
Kanakas Diving for Money, No.2
Lurline Baths
Sutro Baths
Sutro Baths, no.1
Swimming Pool, Palm Beach
Women of the Ghetto Bathing 

DVD Vol III - 81 Films on Working America at the Turn of the Century

Animal Farming (6 films : 1897-1904)

Calf Branding
Cattle Driven to Slaughter
Cattle Leaving the Corral
Driving Cattle to Pasture
Herding Horses Across a River 

Sheep Run, Chicago Stockyards

 

Coal Mining (2 films: 1897 - 1904)

Giant Coal Dumper

Mining Operations, Pennsylvania Coal Fields 

Ice Manufacturing (3 films: 1902)

Circular Panorama of Housing the Ice
Cutting and Canaling Ice
Loading the Ice on Cars, Conveying It Across the Mountains and Loading It Into Boats 

 

Industrial and Manufacturing Work (29 films: 1897 - 1904)

Building a Harbor at San Pedro 

Armour's Electric Trolley
Assembling a Generator, Westinghouse Works
Assembling and Testing Turbines, Westinghouse Works
Casting a Guide Box, Westinghouse Works (Part 1)

Casting a Guide Box, Westinghouse Works (Part 2)
Coil Winding Machines, Westinghouse Works
Coil Winding Section E, Westinghouse Works
Girls Taking Time Checks, Westinghouse Works
Girls Winding Armatures
Noon Hour, Hope Webbing Co.
Panorama of Esplanade by Night
Panorama of Machine Co. Aisle, Westinghouse Works
Panoramic View Aisle B, Westinghouse Works
Panorama View Street Car Motor Room
Steam Hammer, Westinghouse Works
Taping Coils, Westinghouse Works
Tapping a Furnace, Westinghouse Works (Part 1)

Tapping a Furnace, Westinghouse Works (Part 2)
Testing a Rotary, Westinghouse Works
Testing Large Turbines, Westinghouse Works
Union Iron Works
Welding the Big Ring (Part 1)

Welding the Big Ring (Part 2)
Westinghouse Air Brake Co. Westinghouse Co. Works (Casting Scene)
Westinghouse Air Brake Co. Westinghouse Co. Works (Moulding Scene)
Westinghouse Air Brake Co. Westinghouse Co. Works 

Delivering Newspapers 

Parke Davis' Employees 

 

Logging and Cane Harvesting (7 films:1902 - 1906)
Logging in Maine (Part 1)

Logging in Maine (Part 2)

Logging in Maine (Part 3)

Logging in Maine (Part 4)

Logging in Maine (Part 5)

Cutting Sugar Cane
Loading Sugar Cane 

 

Police, Firefighters, Sanitation (9 films: 1897 - 1904)
Albany, N.Y., Fire Department
Annual Parade, New York Fire Department

Buffalo Fire Department in Action

Buffalo Police on Parade

Charleston Chain-Gang 
Cleveland Fire Department

Drill by the Providence Police 

Pawtucket Fire Department 

Sorting Refuse at Incinerating Plant, New York City  

United States Postal Office (25 films: 1903)
Post Man Delivering Mail, U.S.P.O. (Titled incorrectly as Buying Stamps from Rural Wagon, U.S.P.O.)
Cancelling Machine, U.S.P.O.
Carriers at Work, U.S.P.O.
Carriers Leaving Building, U.S.P.O. [version 1]
Carriers Leaving Building, U.S.P.O. [version 2]
Clerks Casing Mail for Bags, U.S.P.O.
Clerks Tying Bags, U.S.P.O.
Clerks Tying Up for Bags, U.S.P.O.
Coach at Rural Post Office, U.S.P.O.
Collecting Mail, U.S.P.O.
Delivering Mail from Sub-Station
Exchange of Mail at Rural P.O., U.S.P.O.
Loading Mail Car, U.S.P.O.
Old Mail Coach at Ford, U.S.P.O.
Buying Stamps from Rural Wagon, U.S.P.O. (Titled incorrectly as Post Man Delivering Mail, U.S.P.O.)
Routing Mail, U.S.P.O.
Rural Wagon Delivering Mail, U.S.P.O.
Rural Wagon Giving Mail to Branch, U.S.P.O.
Special Delivery Messenger, U.S.P.O.
Street Mail Car, U.S.P.O.
Throwing Mail Into Bags, U.S.P.O.
Train Taking Up Mail Bag, U.S.P.O.
Transporting Internal Revenue Stamps, U.S.P.O.
Tying up Bags for Train, U.S.P.O.
Wagons Loading Mail, U.S.P. O.  

 

IMPORTANT NOTE TO OUR CUSTOMERS We pride ourselves on being a responsible seller delivering a quality product at a reasonable cost.  As a responsible buyer, ask yourself these questions before purchasing a DVD from another seller: Is the DVD new, labeled, and shrink sealed in a plastic clamshell case? Is the video and audio quality stated in the item description? Is your purchase shipped out to you within 1 to 2 days after receipt of payment?  We do all of those things and more.  We are proud of our feedback rating and our customer testimonials.     RETURN POLICY In the unlikely event that a DVD is defective, the DVD (without case) will be replaced once, free of charge.   We cannot be responsible for DVD player incompatibility issues.     SHIPPING & HANDLING CONTINENTAL US - $4.00 for up to 5 DVDs USPS Media Rate-7-10 days+ Add $0.50 for each additional DVD    HAWAII, US POSSESSIONS - $6.00 for up to 5 DVDs USPS Priority-2-3 days Add $1.00 for each additional DVD    CANADA - $5.00 for up to 5 DVDs USPS Air Letter Post-4-7 days Add $0.75 for each additional DVD    INTERNATIONAL - $7.50 for 1 DVD USPS Air Letter Post-4-7 days Add $1.50 for each additional DVD See shipping and payment instructions below for more information. We expect payment within 10 days of auction close IF YOU HAVE A FEEDBACK RATING OF 10 OR LESS, PLEASE EMAIL FIRST BEFORE YOU BID. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL ANY BID. The works presented on this DVD(s) are in the public domain.  The content has been fully researched and found that all copyrights have expired or lapsed through non-renewal.  In accordance with eBay policy on recordable media, we claim ownership and rights to this DVD(s) and are legally authorized to replicate the content without permission or licensing.