Peter Elfelt

The Kaiser was an unpopular guest in Denmark. Both for personal and political reasons, the Danish court did not want to have too close ties to the German Kaiser. But the Kaiser had a habit of inviting himself.

Peter Elfelt filming fashion.

The Children's Dance from 'Elverhøj', performed by Gudrun Christensen and Helga Smith. Elverhøj (1828; literal translation, Elves’ Hill) by Johan Ludvig Heiberg, with music by Frederik Kuhlau, is considered the Danish national play. It was commissioned by King Frederik VI for the marriage of his youngest daughter Vilhelmine Marie to Frederik Carl Christian (later King Frederik VII). (Stumfilm.DK)

Spirited Ukrainian trepak dance, performed by Russian soloist Wania Tartakoff. (Stumfilm.DK)

Solo from 'La sylphide' (1836), ballet by August Bournonville. Performed by Ellen Price (1878-1968), soloist from 1903. Ellen Price's dancing in Hans Beck's ballet 'The Little Mermaid' (1909) was the inspiration for Edvard Eriksen's statue of the same name (1911). (Stumfilm.DK)

Danish filmmaker Peter Elfelt took his camera to the bottom of the slopes at the skiing competition in Norway. At the bottom of the slope the director captured the man finishing off their jumps.

The short clip shows a spiritualist séance featuring a medium and two ‘spirits’, shot in Peter Elfelt’s studio. Dr Faustinus (1868–1946 – real name Faustinus Edelberg Pedersen), after whom the film is named, was an active figure within the field of spiritism and the occult. (Stumfilm.dk)

King Frederik VIII of Denmark arrives in Berlin, Germany.

Erotic dance performed by an unknown female dancer.

Prominent people at a funeral.

The engineer troops going to work in preparation for explosives.

The proclamation was performed on 30 January 1906 by Prime Minister Jens Christian Christensen (1856-1930). At age 63, Frederik finally became king. He had been standing in the shadow of his father, who did not want any interference by his curious and hard working son. -Det Danske Filminstitut (Danish Film Institute)

'From Siberia to Moscow' (1876) was August Bournonville’s last long ballet. It was inspired by an 1874 trip to Russia, where Bournonville met Marius Petipa and saw several of his ballets. The music was composed by Carl Christian Møller. The smart prances of the Jockey Dance are here performed by Gustav Uhlendorff (1875-1962), dancer and later master of the Danish Royal Ballet in the 1920s, and dancer Richard Jensen (1883-1935), who acted in a number of Danish silent films in the early 1910s. (Stumfilm. DK)

Trade Guilds' Parade at Christiansborg Ridebane in 1904.

Presentation of horses and cows.

The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Trondhjem, Norway.

At first this looks like another of those innumerable fire brigade movies of the era in which you saw the horses charging pellmell out of the firehouse, pulling the firemen and the equipment. Usually they would be on wheels, occasionally on sleigh runner, but always the same: fire departments from Buffalo, New York, Chicago and probably Omsk and Tomsk. This one is different: you see not only the fire brigade heading out for the fire, you see the site of the fire itself.

A film by Peter Elfelt.

King Haakon and Queen Maud visit Denmark.

A Danish commercial for Aktieselskabet Linotol-Kompagniet and linotol floor covering.

Early wrestling footage.

Demonstrations through the city on May 1st in Slagelse. The year is unknown.

Fragments of military showing off.

Scenes from Ribe Domkirkes.