Roundhay Garden Scene
Encyclopedia
Roundhay Garden Scene is an 1888 short film
directed by inventor Louis Le Prince
. It was recorded at 12 frames
per second
, runs for 2.11 seconds and is the oldest surviving film
.
, the home of Joseph and Sarah Whitley, in Roundhay
, Leeds
, West Riding of Yorkshire
, United Kingdom on October 14, 1888.
It features Adolphe Le Prince, Sarah Whitley, Joseph Whitley and Harriet Hartley in the garden, walking around and laughing. Note that Sarah is walking backwards as she turns around, and that Joseph's coat tails are flying as he also is turning.
(NSM), London, produced photographic copies of remaining parts from the 1888 filmstrip. This sequence was recorded on an 1885 Eastman Kodak
paper base photographic film
through Le Prince's single-lens combi camera-projector. Le Prince's son, Adolphe, stated that the Roundhay Garden movie was shot at 12 frames/s
(and the second movie, Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge, at 20 frames/s), however the later digital remaster
ed version of Roundhay Garden produced by the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT), Bradford
, comprises 52 frames and is only 2.11 seconds long, as the film runs at 24.64 frames/s, the modern cinematographic frame-rate. The National Science Museum copy has 20 frames, giving a run time of 1.66 seconds at 12 frames/s.
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
directed by inventor Louis Le Prince
Louis Le Prince
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince was an inventor who is considered by many film historians as the true father of motion pictures, who shot the first moving pictures on paper film using a single lens camera....
. It was recorded at 12 frames
Film frame
In filmmaking, video production, animation, and related fields, a film frame or video frame is one of the many still images which compose the complete moving picture...
per second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
, runs for 2.11 seconds and is the oldest surviving film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Overview
According to Le Prince's son, Adolphe, it was filmed at Oakwood GrangeOakwood, Leeds
Oakwood is an affluent suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, that lies between Gipton and Roundhay Park. It is within the LS8 postcode and part of the Roundhay City Council Ward.-Notable features:...
, the home of Joseph and Sarah Whitley, in Roundhay
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, United Kingdom on October 14, 1888.
It features Adolphe Le Prince, Sarah Whitley, Joseph Whitley and Harriet Hartley in the garden, walking around and laughing. Note that Sarah is walking backwards as she turns around, and that Joseph's coat tails are flying as he also is turning.
Remastered footage
In 1930 the National Science MuseumScience Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
(NSM), London, produced photographic copies of remaining parts from the 1888 filmstrip. This sequence was recorded on an 1885 Eastman Kodak
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
paper base photographic film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
through Le Prince's single-lens combi camera-projector. Le Prince's son, Adolphe, stated that the Roundhay Garden movie was shot at 12 frames/s
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
(and the second movie, Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge, at 20 frames/s), however the later digital remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed version of Roundhay Garden produced by the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT), Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, comprises 52 frames and is only 2.11 seconds long, as the film runs at 24.64 frames/s, the modern cinematographic frame-rate. The National Science Museum copy has 20 frames, giving a run time of 1.66 seconds at 12 frames/s.
External links
- Louis Le Prince Centre for Cinema, Photography, and Television University of Leeds.
- St John's of Roundhay. Details of memorial for Sarah (died 1888-10-24) and Joseph Whitley (died 1891-01-12) at Beechwood, Leeds. (map)