Most Viewed Year 1900 - 16

A magician dressed as Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of people and objects in this short film.

Two comedians are washing at basins. One covers himself in white soap lather, but slyly gives blacking to his fellow, who applies vigorously.

A short film

An explosive bit of early war film. These two exciting snippets were potentially part of a much larger action extravaganza. Originating from Alfred...

An astonishing display of synchronised gymnastics. The looping, synchronised vaults on display here are truly mesmerising - thanks both to the skill...

It's a demolition derby, as two giant industrial chimneys come crashing down to earth. Although this is dynamite footage, no explosives are used -...

Victorian filmmakers loved few sights more than crashing waves. Who those filmmakers were in this particular case is not documented, but they have...

Two chaps, a Gramophone, and a dog called Nipper. What could possibly go wrong?

Panorama of the quai de la Seine and the foreign pavilions of the Exhibition: Sweden, Monaco, Romania, Spain.

Two Chinese men (in full regalia) and an American-style tough are sitting at a table, eating out of bowls, all of them using chop sticks; The...

A man exchanges shoe blacking for his friend's soap.

New Zealand's oldest surviving film shows a troop of horsemen from the Boer War Second Contingent in camp at one of the open days held before their...

The magic of a real solar eclipse filmed on 28 May, 1900 by a famous magician, Nevil Maskelyne, while on an expedition by The British Astronomical...

Walter Gibbons was one of Britain's most forward-thinking film entrepreneurs, and deeply entranced by the music hall. In 1900 he launched his 'phono...

Silent record of a performance by Joseph Pujol. He was famous for his remarkable control of the abdominal muscles, which enabled him to seemingly...

A couple is attacked by warriors.

Christine Kerf as the Greek muse Terpsichore, in 1900.

Lumière short on the 1900 World's Fair

In China at the turn of the 20th century, there was a rebel group called the Society of the Harmonious Fist, otherwise known as Boxers. They attacked...

A beautiful young blonde woman in scanty attire is seen reclining in the center of a set of a spider web. A well-dressed young man passes in front of...