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Historic Travels New York - A Century Ago (2-DVD Set)
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Welcome to New York! Witness the thrilling events that gave the city its vibrant image a century ago. Learn why the city attracted millions to it each year, in this fascinating set of DVDs.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Europeans saw the United States as a land of opportunity. It is not surprising then that this period saw the largest number of immigrants arriving at various seaports on the east coast. Ellis Island in New York however, remained the most prolific entry point.
The Statue of Liberty greeted the foreigners with this famous saying," Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The boats arriving at New York were packed full of immigrants of whom most were European. From 1880 to 1930, about 28.5 million immigrants entered the United States. Statistics show that 70% of immigrants entering the United States in 1885 entered through New York’s ports.
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This fascinating DVD records some historic moments as boatloads of immigrants step on to the piers in New York. It also captures some graphic images of the city that greeted these fortune seekers as they settled into their newly adopted country.
Some of the clips you will see on this DVD set are:
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Statue of Liberty
This film, shot by an amateur in 1898, presents a view of the Statue of Liberty as seen from a vessel approaching New York's harbor.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1898
Length: 00:00:50
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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New York Police Parade
This clip contains some lively shots of the police parade in New York. It shows policemen marching in formations on foot and on horseback. You also see a police band in action.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1899
Length: 00:02:48
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Pilot Boat in the Harbor
This 1898 shot captures a brief account of the activities around New York harbor. You will see a sailboat and a steamer pass by the pilot boat from which the pictures are shot.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1899
Length: 00:00:50
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Parade
This film has shots of the 1902 Wild West parade. You will see the Red Indians, cavalrymen and horse-drawn wagons that were a part of the parade, as they march down the crowded streets.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1902
Length: 00:01:55
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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A Perilous Proceeding
This thrilling shot shows some daring construction workers being lowered to the ground by a crane from the top of a high building under construction.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1902
Length: 00:01:22
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Star Theatre
Using time-lapse photography, the film shows the demolition of the famous Star Theatre. Judging from the various exposures, the work must have gone on for a period of approximately thirty days. The theater reopened in 1861 as "Wallack's Theatre".
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1902
Length: 00:01:58
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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New York Harbor Police Boat Patrol Capturing Pirates
This film captures some live action as the New York Harbor Police chase and arrest some pirates.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:02:12
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Sky Scrapers of New York City
This short film presents a panoramic view of the skyscrapers as seen from the North River.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:03:25
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Broadway And Union Square
This film captures some of the activity around the Broadway and Union Square. It shows some streetcars and their passengers.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:00:25
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Elevated railroad, New York
The film was photographed from the front platform of a train traveling over elevated tracks in New York City. Although many of the buildings alongside the tracks can be seen, it is difficult to determine the exact location of the scene.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:01:10
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Lower Broadway
The film shows a view, which appears to be looking north on Broadway at the intersection of either Wall Street, in front of Trinity Church, or Vesey Street at St. Paul's Chapel. The sidewalk along Broadway is crowded with people, and the traffic in both streets.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:01:36
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Move On
Filmed in New York's Lower East Side, the scene is a street where several pushcart vendors have gathered to sell their goods. In the foreground are fruit and vegetable carts. An elevated railroad track crosses over the street in the background. An amusing scene follows in which a policeman asks the vendors to move on.
Producer: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:01:45
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Panorama From Tower of Brooklyn Bridge
The view was taken from the tower on the Brooklyn side of the bridge. As the film begins, the camera is looking southwest, towards the southern tip of Manhattan (the Battery). The camera pans north following Manhattan's East River shoreline.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1903
Length: 00:00:38
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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New York Subway
This film provides an exciting journey on a New York subway when the underground was in operation for only seven months. The camera is mounted on a platform on the front of a New York subway train following another train on the same track. A specially constructed work car on a parallel track provides lighting.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1905
Length: 00:03:43
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Arrival of Emigrants
This film depicts scenes at the Immigration Depot and a nearby dock on Ellis Island. It shows, first, a group of immigrants lined up to board a vessel leaving the island, then another group arriving at the island and being directed off of the dock.
Producer: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
Sponsor: N/A
Year: 1906
Length: 00:03:30
Audio: Silent
Color: BLACK & WHITE
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Running Time:
DVD One : 01:02:40
DVD Two : 00:51:49
 EDITORIAL REVIEW:
"Ever vibrant and throbbing with life, New York has always been a photographer’s delight. Social and cultural events followed in quick succession, and there was a lot to be seen and recorded on film for fun and for the sake of posterity. This rare and unique set of DVDs presents a valuable record of the city and its many faces in the early part of the 20th century.
Most of the clips seen here are the products of the pioneering cinematic firm, the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, which was established on December 21st, 1895, and incorporated in the state of California September 9th, 1991.
In an era when motion pictures were still in their infancy, the company took upon itself the noble responsibility of filming historic events and preserving them for later generations. Most of the films you will see are brief records of events and places in New York between the years 1898 and 1903. This was the time when Biograph made history by scoring many firsts - the first to film the pope, the first to be contracted by the White house and the first to make a movie in Hollywood.
The high standards the company set for itself in terms of quality are evident in the films it produced. Along with the other clips, some of which were produced by the equally famous Thomas A. Edison Company, these DVDs provide an enjoyable tour of the city and give you a wonderful feel of what it must have been like to be in New York just over a century ago. The use of black and white footage and the absence of a sound track add to the historic atmosphere of the clips and do not in any way diminish the value of the contents.
Fascinating footage of the harbor, elevated trains and chaotic city streets will leave you enthralled while some breathtaking shots of the waterfront from boats and the top of the Brooklyn Bridge will astound you with their beauty and clarity.
These DVDs are arguably among the best preserved records of New York’s history form the early part of the 20th century and hold your attention with their charming pictorial records. I have no doubts that anybody who decides to add this set to his or her collection is assured of a delightful and rewarding examination of the history of one of the World's most charming cities."
CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:
"It was fascinating to see what New York was like over a hundred years ago. I spent a delightful hour trying to pick out familiar landmarks and match these century - old images with the present scenario. My great grandparents were among the immigrants who settled in New York in the 1890s and these DVDs gave me a good feel of what they may have experienced when they landed here. I’m sure this set is going to be a big hit when we view it together at our family reunion this fall."
Customer's Name : Larry Salon (Waterloo, New York)
"I was looking for a good topic for my history term paper when I picked this sets of DVDs at a friend’s place. I got more material than I bargained for and I think I will use some of the clips on this set as visual aids during my presentation on the history of New York. I was told that the producer of this fabulous set, a2zcds, has many other historic subjects on DVDs, and that is very reassuring news for history students like me."
Customer's Name : Sharon Hillary (Westbury, New York)
Historic Travels New York - A Century Ago (2-DVD Set)
We can make this offer because we know
you will love these amazing DVDs!
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General Packaging Description:
Our professionally-produced DVDs are shipped in retail Amaray style DVD cases just like you would find in a store. These beautifully packaged DVDs make great gifts and are themselves works of art. While we offer some of the best prices anywhere, we have never sacrificed quality for price.
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System requirements:
Computer: Pentium II, 300mhz, 64mb RAM, DVD-ROM, compatible video and sound card.
Player: NTSC compatible DVD player, standard TV.
Region: All players, irrespective of region
NOTE ON COMPATIBILITY: While our DVDs are designed for optimal playback for all home DVD players, it is possible that some older systems will have trouble playing our DVDs. Although rare, it is worth mentioning. If this occurs you will receive a full refund.
Given that some of these videos are extremely old and their original audio quality is not very good, we have tried to improve it to the best possible quality. However, due to their inherent quality problems, you might still have a few instances where the audio is of a slightly lower volume.
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