Auguste Lumière

Films

Card Party Watch Card Party

Card Party

Card Party

Partie de cartes
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1895)    1 minute

For many, cinema began on December 28, 1895, with the first public projection of short films like EXITING THE FACTORY, ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN and this film, CARD PARTY, by Louis and Auguste Lumiere.

Transformation by Hats Watch Transformation by Hats

Transformation by Hats

Transformation by Hats

Chapeaux à transformations
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1895)    1 minute

The Lumières stay inside the studio for this delightful portrait of a quick-change artist.

Photograph Watch Photograph

Photograph

Photograph

Photographe
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1895)    1 minute

An early lesson that self-reflexive film is best served as comedy.

Exiting the Factory Watch Exiting the Factory

Exiting the Factory

Exiting the Factory

La sortie des usines Lumière
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1895)    1 minute

This alternate version of WORKERS LEAVING THE LUMIÈRE FACTORY pictures employees leaving a different gate from a lower camera position.

Poultry-Yard Watch Poultry-Yard

Poultry-Yard

Poultry-Yard

Basse-cour
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

In this Lumière short, the picturesque view of two country girls feeding chickens is enlivened by the unpredictable movement of the animals sweeping the lower part of the frame.

New York: Broadway at Union Square Watch New York: Broadway at Union Square

New York: Broadway at Union Square

New York: Broadway at Union Square

Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

An 1896 street view of New York shows a metropolis teeming with activity.

Chicago Policemen's Parade Watch Chicago Policemen's Parade

Chicago Policemen's Parade

Chicago Policemen's Parade

Chicago défilé de policemen
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

Dozens of Chicago police parade past the camera in rigid formation.

Carmaux: Drawing Out the Coke Watch Carmaux: Drawing Out the Coke

Carmaux: Drawing Out the Coke

Carmaux: Drawing Out the Coke

Carmaux, défournage du coke
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

One of the finest examples of the Lumières’ dynamic staging of documentary action, CARMAUX: DRAWING OUT THE COKE employs contrasting angles and depths in picturing a factory’s routine.

Swimming in the Sea Watch Swimming in the Sea

Swimming in the Sea

Swimming in the Sea

Baignade en mer
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

A woman and several young children sprint a narrow jetty to dive into the waves. The land is behind us; the lines of the jetty and horizon in harmonic counterpoint.

New York: Brooklyn Bridge Watch New York: Brooklyn Bridge

New York: Brooklyn Bridge

New York: Brooklyn Bridge

Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

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Trolleys interrupt our vision of the distant Brooklyn Bridge, still relatively new when this film was shot, before rumbling on towards its archways.

Dragoons Crossing the Saône Watch Dragoons Crossing the Saône

Dragoons Crossing the Saône

Dragoons Crossing the Saône

Dragons traversant la Saône à la nage
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

Several tiers of shirtless dragoons ford a river with their horses in this amusing Lumière short.

Childish Quarrel Watch Childish Quarrel

Childish Quarrel

Childish Quarrel

Querelle enfantine
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

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One bonneted infant claws nastily at another.

Lion, London Zoological Garden Watch Lion, London Zoological Garden

Lion, London Zoological Garden

Lion, London Zoological Garden

Lions, Jardin zoologique, Londres
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

A zookeeper feeds a lion at surprisingly close range. The lion reaches its paw between the bars, swinging for food while the zookeeper darts in and out of the frame.

Loading a Boiler Watch Loading a Boiler

Loading a Boiler

Loading a Boiler

Embarquement d'une chaudière
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

Shipmates walk a ladder running down a tall boiler in this early Lumière short.

Promenade of Ostriches Watch Promenade of Ostriches

Promenade of Ostriches

Promenade of Ostriches

Autruches
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

Belle Époque Paris comes to life in this Lumière short filmed at the Paris Botanical Gardens. The titular ostrich leads the way, though we also see children riding atop camels and elephants.

Children Digging for Clams Watch Children Digging for Clams

Children Digging for Clams

Children Digging for Clams

Enfants pêchant des crevettes
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1896)    1 minute

Children with shorts and dresses hiked above the knee drag their nets through shallow water in search of shellfish.

Arab Cortege, Geneva Watch Arab Cortege, Geneva

Arab Cortege, Geneva

Arab Cortege, Geneva

Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1897)    1 minute

An early film document of international relations, the subject of this Lumière short exceeds its title.

Arrival of a Train Watch Arrival of a Train

Arrival of a Train

Arrival of a Train

Arrivée d'un train en gare á La Ciotat
Dir. Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
(1897)    1 minute

An alternate and arguably more dynamic version of ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN, the famous Lumière short that inspired the myth of an early cinema audience ducking the image of an oncoming locomotive.

Genres

Recent Reviews

WebRat55

New York: Broadway at Union Square

Short, but awesome footage. I try and imagine the colors of the woman's dresses, the mens suits, and the trolley cars.


Tara O'Rourke

New York: Brooklyn Bridge

New Yorkers have a very real tendency to deify the inanimate things that move us through our compact existence. I adore this film!


Pamela Carter

Transformation by Hats

This is a delightful short 3105 from the Lumiere Brothers that highlights the Vaudevillian ability to change characters just by switching a hat (and a nose in some instances). Amusing,...


Janice Lekich

Childish Quarrel

I kept wanting the one on the left to smack the one on the right.


Teresa Bobe

Chicago Policemen's Parade

Nice to see Chicago's finest at the turn of the last century.


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