Bath Scene

Hiram Maxim shows off his machine gun.

Roma families eat, drink, dance, and play

Many gondolas in Venice harbour with a fishing boat in the background

William K.L. Dickson plays the violin while two men dance. This is the oldest surviving sound film where sound is recorded on the phonograph.

A short Edison Black Maria studio film featuring famed sharpshooter Annie Oakley, known as “Little Sure Shot.” Born Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee in Ohio in 1860, she rose to global fame performing with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Accompanied (likely) by her husband and fellow marksman Frank Butler, Oakley’s diminutive stature belied her legendary marksmanship.

A group of monks in procession carrying a large crucifix in Vatican City, 1898.

"A glove contest between trained cats. A very comical and amusing subject, and is sure to create a great laugh." (by Edison Films)

Nothing more novel than this picture could be shown to an American audience. The view was taken in the doorway of a peasant's hovel. The family, in gala attire, from the grandfather down to the baby, are entertaining some visiting friends. Wine is brought forth, visitors treated, and their health drunk by the happy family.

Three men hammer on an anvil and pass a bottle of beer around. Notable for being the first film in which a scene is being acted out.

From Wikipedia: Sua Santità papa Leone XIII (Italian for "His Holiness Pope Leo XIII") is an 1898 short film directed by William Kennedy Dickson for the Biograph Company and is one of the first existing films shot in the Kingdom of Italy. The short film was shot in the Vatican gardens between June and July of that year (possibly on January 4), after a long wait and negotiations with the prefect of the Apostolic Chamber Francesco Salesio Della Volpe and with the intercession of the pontiff's nephew, Count Pecci. It is a montage of three different shots with the blessing of Pope Leo XIII, eighty-eight years old at the time, and was probably filmed on Kodak film.

Members of the 'Savage South Africa' troupe at Southampton Docks. The film shows a group of Africans (Zulus) in full tribal attire at Southampton docks.

Filmmaker WKL Dickson, one-time right hand man to Thomas Edison, the 'Wizard of Menlo Park', here captures an even greater eminence, Pope Leo XIII. This was one of a series of films that exploited Dickson's unique, hard-won access to the Pontiff. Here the Pope arrives in a carriage and bestows a blessing. Whether this blessing was intended for the camera or for the audience beyond it, capturing it on film was a great prize for Dickson.

A folk dance staged in the ruins of Pompeii. With the Arch of Tiberius in the near distance and Arch of Caligula in far distance. A troop of soldiers, or possibly more performers, march past. W K L Dickson who is directing the action can apparently be seen on far right of picture.

Based on Shakespeare's play, Act V, Scene vii: King John is in torment, and his supporters fear that his end is near. As he writhes in agony, he is attended by Prince Henry, the Earl of Pembroke, and Robert Bigot. Prince Henry tries repeatedly to comfort his delirious father, but to no avail - John's pain is too great.

This fight consists of six rounds, each round on a film 150 feet long. It's an actual contest between James J. Corbett, former champion of the world, and Peter Courtney. The films are listed as "1st Round", "2nd Round", "3rd Round", "4th Round", "5th Round", and "6th Round".