An 1908 - 25

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.

Sigmund Liban sings forty second from the prologue to PAGLIACCI in this early sound film.

Only the visual elements are known to survive from this 1908 recording of a duet from Franz von Suppe's early one-act operetta. As is usual with these recordings, the principal performers take center stage, face the camera directly, and let fly. There are other cast members in the background, providing a drunken chorus.

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 proud father takes his many children to an outing.

French film.

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.

A comedic short film.

An art student inherits a sum of money and has his fellow students over to celebrate. Chaos ensues.

Song from an Operetta.

Silent pull the mourners behind the coffins of their unfortunate colleagues past the camera.

An early silent film, made before intertites became common (which is why very early silent films are narrated, at best). This was filmed in 1907 but released in 1908. It was made at the request of Teddy Roosevelt, who saw coyotes being caught in Oklahoma *by hand*, and folks back east didn't believe him. While this movie is called "The Wolf Hunt", it was actually coyotes being caught, not wolves.

Inventor Jacob Ellehammer's first attempts at flying.