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Birds-Eye View of Dock Front, Galveston
(1900) United States of America
B&W : 75 feet
Directed by [?] Albert E. Smith?
Cast: (unknown)
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company. / Cinematography by Albert E. Smith. / © 24 September 1900 by Thomas A. Edison [D18561]. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The production was shot circa 11-19 September 1900 in Galveston, Texas. A film in the Galveston Cyclone series.
Documentary.
Synopsis: [From Edison promotional materials] At the first news of the disaster by cyclone and tidal wave that devastated Galveston on Saturday, Sept. 8th, 1900, we equipped a party of photographers and sent them by special train to the scene of the ruins. Arriving at the scene of desolation shortly after the storm had swept over that city, our party succeeded, at the risk of life and limb, in taking about a thousand feet of moving pictures. In spite of the fact that Galveston was under martial law and that the photographers were shot down at sight by the excited police guards, a very wide range of subject has been secured. The series, taken as a whole, will give the entire world a definite idea of the terrible disaster, unequaled since the Johnstown flood of 1889. The following pictures are all copyrighted and fully protected by law. They are made from the original negatives taken at a great expense, and expressed to us immediately after they were taken. We will prosecute anyone who copies or uses copies of these films. These films are now drawing immense crowds at Eden Musee and Proctor's vaudeville houses in New York City. Procure these films and increase the receipts of your exhibitions. This great disaster which has startled the entire world, has made an indelible impression on the minds of the public, and everyone will be interested in seeing authentic moving pictures of a representative American city almost entirely wiped out by the combined power of water and wind. The films we list below are genuine, and ours are positively the only animated picture films secured while the city of Galveston was in a state of chaos. / [From Edison promotional materials] Showing dismantled cars, wrecked warehouses, schooners and tugs that had been stranded on the docks; also the tents that had been rigged up for the poor people who had been left entirely homeless. 75 feet. $11.25.
Survival status: Prints exist in the Library of Congress film archive (paper print collection) [35mm paper positive (LC 1054), 35mm reference positive (FEB 9509)].
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Natural disasters: Hurricanes: Galveston Hurricane (8 September 1900) - USA: Texas: Galveston
Listing updated: 23 May 2009.
References: Film viewing : Slide-BigV p. 172 : Website-LoC.
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