Wednesday, May 2, 2018

New York in 1911 - history captured on film


I'm obliged to The Last Tradition for publishing the link to this footage of New York City in 1911, which has been very nicely restored.  For history buffs, it makes fascinating viewing.





It's sobering to think that everyone in those images is dead by now.  I wonder what they would have said if they could have foreseen World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and so on?  Those storm clouds would not have been even a shadow on the horizon in 1911 . . .

I wonder whether, 107 years from now, someone will be viewing video (or the then-current technology) of us, walking around our streets in 2018, and ask a similar question?

Peter

6 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Has anyone wondered how they got the sound in the age of SILENT films?

TheOtherSean said...

That reminds me of the 1914 Honeymoon Trolley Trip from Philadelphia to Allentown video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUZi-ZM9C6w

HMS Defiant said...

By 1911 the storm clouds were well established.
https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/nine-kings-one-photo/

You kind of see why people want to take kings and their family out and beat them to death, a lot.

Roy said...

"...how they got the sound in the age of..."

The sound was added to the clip. Though they did a pretty good job, it's not original to the film.

PapaMAS said...

EVERYBODY wore hats back then.

Magson said...

This video reminded me of this article I saw some months ago about a hidden camera thing some guy did in Oslo, Norway from 1893 to 1897. The biggest thing I noticed was how everyone was always dressed to the nines when out in public.

https://mymodernmet.com/carl-stormer-hidden-camera-photography/