1900 Short Films

In one glorious point-of-view shot, a vehicle dashes full-speed into an ill-starred passer-by.

While our photographers were crossing the Atlantic Ocean a most wonderful and sensational picture was secured, showing a storm at sea. The picture was secured by lashing the camera to the after bridge of the Kaiserine Maria Theresa, of the North German Lloyd Line, during one of its roughest voyages. The most wonderful storm picture ever photographed. Taken at great risk.

A boy looks through glasses at various objects, seen magnified.

As two couples enjoy their evening promenade in a nice but rickety open motor car, without notice, an explosion blows the vehicle to smithereens.

A burlesque on the work of highwaymen in Chicago. An elderly gentleman is sandbagged and robbed by a thug, who inadvertently leaves some money on the victim's prostate body. A policeman happening along, takes the money and passes by without paying any attention to the plight of the victim.

A man dreams he is flirting with an attractive young lady, then he wakes up in bed next to his wife.

Two women in long skirts, wearing hats, and carrying umbrellas, gossip beside a fence. Two men on the other side of the fence reach through from underneath and nail the women's skirts to the boards. Off the men run leaving the women to discover their fate. What will they do?

The titles tell us this film is based on an incident in the Boxer Rebellion. A man tries to defend a woman and a large house against Chinese attackers. They attack with swords, guns, and paddles. He's over-matched. What will become of the mission, its defenders, and its occupants?

An elderly gentleman in a silk hat sits on a stool in front of a store on the main street of town. He has a telescope that he focuses on the ankle of a young woman who is a short distance away. Her husband catches the gent looking. What will the two men now do?

Nothing can exceed the stubborn resistance shown by the Gordon Highlanders, as we see them steadily advancing in the face of a murderous fire of the Boers, who are making their guns speak with rapid volleys. One by one the gunners fall beside their guns, and as the smoke clears for an instant the Highlanders are seen gaining nearer and nearer the disputed ground. Finally a grand charge is made, the siege is carried, and amid cheers they plant the colors on the spot they have so dearly earned.

Nothing new, but an old thing done over again and done well. Some one has attempted to describe a kiss as "something made of nothing," but this is not one of that kind, but one of those old fashioned "home made" kind that sets the whole audience into merriment and motion, and has always proven a popular subject. It is very fine photographically and an exhibit is not complete without it.

This shows the heart of the tremendous drifts in the east end of Galveston. Hundreds of bodies are concealed in these immense masses, and at the time the picture was taken the odor given out could be detected for miles. The subject shows a gang of laborers clearing away the debris in the search for corpses, one of which was discovered while the picture was being taken.

A crew of railroad workmen are busy along the tracks of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. When the Black Diamond Express appears in the distance, they begin to pull back from the rails to clear the way. As the train approaches their work site, some of them begin to wave at it.

Sherlock Holmes enters his drawing room to find it being burgled, but on confronting the villain is surprised when the latter disappears. Holmes initially attempts to ignore the event by lighting a cigar, but upon the thief's reappearance, Holmes tries to reclaim the sack of stolen goods, drawing a pistol from his dressing gown pocket and firing it at the intruder, who disappears. After Holmes recovers his property, the bag vanishes from his hand into that of the thief, who promptly disappears through a window. At this point the movie ends abruptly with Holmes looking "baffled".

With a crowded arena in the background, a stationary camera records a bull charging a picador astride his horse. An attendant on foot throws stones at the rump of the horse to get it to move. Various men with capes run past the bull to try to get him to charge or at least run about.

The camera is positioned so that it looks out to sea on a day when the waters are rough and the waves are high. As the waves come towards the shore, they are partially broken up by some rocks in front of the field of view. Even after passing the rocks, plenty of water and foam kicks up just in front of the camera.

Four men each hold a large slice of watermelon, and have a race to see who can finish eating first. All four move quickly, but one man seems to be pulling ahead of the others. Soon the contestants begin to hinder one another's efforts.