James H. White

The President is seen on the reviewing stand at the Stadium, escorted by President Milburn, of the Pan-American Exposition...

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This is a great historical event. Our cameras were stationed in the center of the Esplanade looking toward the Main Approach to the Pan-American Exposition...

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Shows two lovers in a hammock. Two bad boys appear. One of them climbs into a tree and scrambles out on an overhanging branch, directly over the happy pair. Just as the love-making reaches a climax, the branch breaks. The boy falls into the hammock, the hammock breaks, and the boy and the lovers are mixed up on the ground. Exceedingly ludicrous.

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Two bad boys enter the kitchen. One climbs to the kitchen table and takes down the old lamp, the other goes to the flour barrel and scoops out some flour, pouring it into the chimney until it is filled to the top. The lamp is then replaced in the bracket. Grandma enters, scratches a match, removes the lamp chimney, when the flour falls upon her head. It sticks in her hair and fills her eyes, but this is where she turns the tables.

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Chinese passengers make their way down the wharf. Two chair bearers are soliciting fares, but without any success.

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Photographed February-March, 1898 in Canton, China

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White’s camera offers several 360-degree pans of views of the fairground, then amazes by tilting up and down the Eiffel Tower, and concludes with a stunning tracking shot to the highest point above Paris. Exhibitors freely grouped films into nascent narratives such as those displayed here. - Bruce Posner

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“A marvelously clear picture taken from the top of the elevator of the Eiffel Tower during going up and coming down of the car. This wonderful tower is 1,000 feet in height, and the picture produces a most sensational effect. As the camera leaves the ground and rises to the top of the tower, the enormous white city opens out to the view of the astonished spectator. Arriving at the top of the tower, a bird's eye view of the Exposition looking toward the Trocadero, and also toward the Palace of Electricity, is made, and the camera begins its descent. The entire trip is shown on a 200-foot film. 30.00. We furnish the ascent in 125 foot film.” (Edison film catalog)

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Near the main entrance. Hundreds of carriages and characteristic Parisian busses are passing.

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Shows all the prominent buildings on this thoroughfare, ending with a close view of the base of the Eiffel Tower, with the Trocadero Palace in the background.

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The single camera position is from the top of a building identified as the Trocadero Palace; The camera is pointed toward the Eiffel Tower. The film shows only up to the first arch of the Eiffel Tower.

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James White, the Edison Company's main filmmaker at the time, realized a burst of creativity during his visit to the 1900 Paris Exposition. It's uncertain who his cameraman was for this journey, but historian Charles Musser suggests that it might've been Alfred C. Abadie. In their Paris Exposition films, they introduced tilting (see 'Panorama of Eiffel Tower') and, although panning and panoramas had already been around for a while, they introduced some novel functions for them.

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This panoramic scene is taken from a Seine steamboat and gives a rapid view of the banks of the river...

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Two silent films capture a panoramic view of the 'Rue de l'Avenir', an electric powered moving walkway displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900).

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While our photographers were crossing the Atlantic Ocean a most wonderful and sensational picture was secured, showing a storm at sea. The picture was secured by lashing the camera to the after bridge of the Kaiserine Maria Theresa, of the North German Lloyd Line, during one of its roughest voyages. The most wonderful storm picture ever photographed. Taken at great risk. (Edison Films, 1901)

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Four men each hold a large slice of watermelon, and have a race to see who can finish eating first. All four move quickly, but one man seems to be pulling ahead of the others. Soon the contestants begin to hinder one another's efforts.

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Shows a party of English people in their chairs. This is the only safe way of getting about in Canton, as the streets are indescribably filthy.

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Here is another view on the Bund, with The Garden on the left, with its high arched conservatory. As in the former scene, the peculiar wheelbarrows prove to be the central attraction. Evidently some tourists are enjoying the novel vehicle, as shown by the hilarity of the party that passes by in front of our artists. A barrow is often loaded with three or four passengers, although but one man propels it.

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A crew of railroad workmen are busy along the tracks of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. When the Black Diamond Express appears in the distance, they begin to pull back from the rails to clear the way. As the train approaches their work site, some of them begin to wave at it.

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“One of the most interesting places in the vicinity of Niagara Falls is the Whirlpool Rapids, where the immense volume of water which passes from the Falls, speeds along through its rocky and tortuous passage towards the ocean. The camera in securing this picture was placed at the front end of a train ascending the grade at a very rapid rate of speed. The combined motion of the train in one direction and the water in the opposite direction, the latter impeded and interrupted in its course by the rocky path through which it flows, sending beautiful masses of spray and foam many feet in the air, makes an impression on the audience long to be remembered.” (Edison film catalog)

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Taken from an automobile. This picture was taken during the fashionable driving hour, making a complete circle of the Place de la Concorde, passing hundreds of carriages and busses. The beginning of the picture shows the historical church of the Madeleine in the background, the picture ending by approaching and running under the main entrance to the Paris Exposition.

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Showing the attacking forces drawn up in line of battle. They immediately commence firing on the shore batteries. The batteries return the fire with telling effect, but are at last silenced by the overwhelming forces of the enemy. In the distance can be seen the ruins of a bridge destroyed by the invading forces. The smoke thickens as the firing becomes general, and the effect is superb.

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The title pretty much tells you all there is to know about this Edison film. It runs a very brief 27-seconds and shows a torpedo hitting its target and going off. I think the most fascinating thing about this is that we get a pretty close shot of the explosion and its aftermath. It was rather funny seeing this large explosion and especially seeing how long it took for everything that flew up in the air to land back down.

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Filmed off the coast of Rhode Island, this Edison short takes place on the U.S. torpedo boat Morris as we see some men loading up a torpedo that is eventually shot off. This film lasts only 75-seconds but it's almost as if the director wanted to save the best for last. The first sixty-seconds are pretty lifeless as we barely get to see what's going on but once the torpedo is shot off things pick up.

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Possibly the sensation of the flight of a bird can be nearest realized by being on deck of one of the U.S. Government's fleet torpedo boats racing at its highest speed through the water. This picture was taken under these conditions and shows the beautiful scenery comprising the harbor of Newport, R. I. In the foreground, the spray of the vessel and the foam on the water gives a fair idea of the rapidity at which this boat is moving.

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The scene opens by showing the village girls driving home a herd of cows, and shows the native peasantry of Switzerland returning from their daily occupation watching the herds. After driving the cattle to their shelter, the boys and girls congregate in front of the old barn and go through a native dance, to the amusement of the spectators. These pictures are marvelously clear and distinct, showing every feature of the participants.

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This picture shows the young cadets going through their daily exercises and drill, and is full of life, and photographically perfect.

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Filmed in July 1900, on the Champs Elysées in Paris, France.

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Beginning with the camera pointing toward the Invalides entrance, with the tomb of Napoleon in the background. The camera is slowly revolved until it rests upon the new and beautiful bridge of Alexander III, showing the immense crowds entertaining the Exposition.

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This picture shows thousands of people leaving their seats in the grand stand and going across the parade grounds toward Paris. A very sharp and clear picture.

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This Edison short features famed cyclist Neidert performing a series of impressive bicycle stunts on stage, including riding backwards, balancing on one pedal, and rearing the bike onto its back wheel. The film was listed in Edison’s catalog as No. 2, indicating it followed an earlier trick cycling short (now believed lost), and is unrelated to the later British production The Trick Cyclist (1901). Although Thomas Edison has sometimes been mistakenly named as director, he was never credited as director on any films; this short was directed by James H. White.

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"An interesting exhibit by Hadji Cheriff, of the original Midway Plaisance. Twirls his rifle over his shoulder, behind back, under leg, both hands and one hand."

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"The umpire makes a decision that Casey doesn't like, and an argument follows, during which Casey deftly trips him up, and continues the argument on the ground. The other players run from the bench and join in the rumpus. The fielders come running in and the pile on the home plate looks like a foot ball scrimmage. A solemn warning to all rotten umpires."

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"Shows steamer plunging head-on through the heavy seas. Huge waves break over the bow and wash the deck, almost carrying away the look-out."

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The crew of seven dressed in cork jackets, push the boat through the surf; they clamber in and row out to the wreck. 50 ft.

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This picture was taken at one of the curves on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, along the beautiful Susquehanna River. The train is seen rapidly approaching in the distance, clearly outlined against the grey mountains. Smoke can be seen pouring in volumes from the stack of the locomotive, and as the train approaches closely, she sounds a whistle, warning some section men, who are working on the tracks in the foreground. As she rushes by the camera, the swing motion of the train gives a vivid idea of the lightning speed at which she is traveling. (Edison film catalog)

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A woman and a young girl each carry containers of bird feed, and they toss occasional handfuls to the chickens and doves in the farmyard. Most of the chickens stay nearby, but the doves occasionally fly off and then return to eat more.

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A lady watering the garden with a hose, a mischievous boy stops the flow of water until she looks for the cause, when he permits the water to flow, resulting in the lady taking an unexpected bath. The father then appears and chastises the youthful culprit. One of the best films ever made.

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“The watchful father disturbs a dream of bliss, and the bucolic lover is taught a lesson. He made a great hit.” (Edison film catalog)

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A fellow in a wide-brimmed hat, with a willowy stick for a rod and a baited hook, sits down on a plank hanging over a bridge above a stream. He sticks the rod under his seat and picks up his bottle to take a swig. Behind him creeps a joker who removes the large flagstone that's holding the fisherman's plank in place.

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