Newark Athlete (1891) FULL VIDEO

 

Release Date: May 1, 1891

Director: William K.L. Dickson

Country of Origin: USA

Newark Athlete is an 1891 American short silent film directed and produced by William Kennedy Dickson. The film, roughly 12 seconds in length, displays a young athlete swinging Indian clubs. The identity of the athlete is unknown. It was filmed in May or June 1891, in the Photographic Building at the Edison Laboratory, West Orange, New Jersey. The firm's Black Maria studio building was not constructed until late 1892 or early 1893. The film was made to be viewed using Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope.

The pioneering achievement of the 1891 film Newark Athlete is its status as the oldest film preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry. 

Selected for inclusion in 2010 by the Library of Congress, it is recognized for its historical significance as a foundational step in motion picture technology.

 

Key technical and historical facts include:

Early Motion Picture Technology: It was an experimental short created at Thomas Edison's laboratory using an early horizontal-feed Kinetograph camera.

Format: The film was shot on 3/4-inch-wide film and intended for viewing through a Kinetoscope, a peephole device for individual viewers.

Content: The approximately 10-12 second silent film depicts a young athlete swinging Indian clubs, a type of exercise equipment.

Creators: It was directed and filmed by William K.L. Dickson and William Heise between May and June 1891.