annos singulos 1908 - 25

Pictures of travel in such places as the Orient and the black continent are always sure to be interesting, for not many of us have sojourned in these countries. In this picture we see the black race in their own land and have an opportunity of studying their peculiar ways at close range. We see the natives unloading the boats and carrying the merchandise to the shore on their heads. The grain is heaped up and they sort it and make their flour by breaking the grain between two stones. They are seen weaving rugs, the men at work washing the clothes, and the women attending to their duties of cooking and feeding the little ones. We see the Pacha going among the poor and distributing food to the unfortunates, who clamor for it like hungry wolves. Lastly, there is a fête on the public square, and the girls are dancing the native dances, while the men sit around and gamble

A 1908 short film

In this picture we see how the artists engaged to pose for the pictures make the scene so realistic that they get themselves into all kinds of trouble in the city where people are not familiar with their mode of doing things. The first picture shows the camera set to take a picture of a tragic hold-up. The manager gets the people in position, and when they are ready, a woman and girl are seen walking along the street, when three men spring out from behind a wall, and, after stabbing them, go through their pockets, relieving them of all their valuables.

A young beggar girl and her aged mother are tramping along the road when a motor car passing swiftly by knocks down the older woman just in front of the gates of a fine castle. The poor beggar girl, at the sight of her dead mother, calls for help, and her cries of despair are heard by the residents of the castle, who, being kind-hearted people, take the young girl away from the body of her dead mother, although the poor orphan fights desperately to remain besides what was once all the world to her.

A raffle booth at a country fair is shown, at which live stock is being drawn for, in full operation. The good, folk gathered about hold numbers and as the wheel turns a clown distributes among the winners, chickens, rabbits and geese. One portly gentleman wins a pig and becomes so elated on receiving his prize that with some friends he goes to a café to drink. He indulges by far too freely and spills many bottles of liquor into the pig's anatomy, via its mouth, until the animal seems to be intoxicated too.

Originally it was called White City because when it opened, all the buildings were painted white. It was a fairgrounds, intended to celebrate the 1904 Entente Cordiale between France and Great Britain, that would, a decade later, leading to the unbreakable web of alliances that would cause the First World War.

A young woman is seen in thin film laughing at a youth, who, having fallen desperately in love with her at first sight, is ardently pressing his suit. Hearing footsteps in the passage, the young woman explains to her suitor that her husband is returning, and, terrified at the news, the timid Romeo jumps out of the window. He rushes down the street, and, seeing a messenger sitting on his stand at the corner, bribes the man to lend him his outfit; this accomplished he takes the boy's place and keeps watch over the residence of his Juliet. The husband returning, informs his wife in high glee that he has been appointed salesman for one of the largest crockery stores in the town, and before long is on his way to his new office, much to the satisfaction of the enamored messenger keeping watch.

Robbers wait by the roadside ready to spring upon a series of passing travellers, gleefully hiding their stolen plunder in a hollow tree. When a Jewish man comes along with a bag full of gold, the villains treat him worse than the others and tie him to the tree.

Silent film footage from late Qing dynasty China, depicting everyday scenes.

A early German Piccolo-Duett.

Four women are drinking champagne at a couple of tables. A man comes into their midst and sings the title song in this sound-film from Deutsch Bioskop.

Rempailleur is the French word for the person who repairs the wicker seat in chairs, and that's the central joke in this short comedy. A rubber-legged clown carries around more chairs than he can hold, has them stolen and steal other chairs.

Brussels in the Belle Epoque, recorced on film in a straightforward way. Camera work and editing are purely functional. The film observes busy everyday life in the metropolis as it happens on the street (including Boulevard Anspach, Rue de la Loi, Boulevard Emile Jacqmain), in the parks (Brussels Park and Parc du Cinquantenaire) and on the markets (including Grand Place). The iconic buildings feature extensively, buildings such as the Bourse, the Law Courts, St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Brussels' City Hall and the Parliament. After the tram ride through the Forêt de Soignes to the Congo Museum in Tervuren, the film ends with panoramic images of the city.

A masher approaches a lady on the street who is elegantly dressed, but when he gets near enough to see her face he changes his mind so suddenly that he is glad to get away. The ugly woman passes on, however, and on reaching the store of a beauty doctor, decides to step in. The M.D. promises her complete satisfaction and gets busy promptly. First he subjects her mud-colored marcelled hair to a treatment, and in a little while she has beautiful raven-black hair. He massages her face and removes all dermatological defects, and finally gets to work on her teeth; in a few more seconds the woman emerges from the place a fine specimen of natural brunette beauty, with teeth like so many pearls. This time when she meets a gentleman on the street he promptly offers his arm.

French film.

Film about an inventor going wild

A mischievous boy steals the calf's head from a drunk man, who has been sent by his wife to buy it. The boy then places the ruminant's head on the man's shoulders.

A drunk dreams that he is carried off to Hell.

Recording of the voice of an African man.