This film is part of Free
Scenes at Balmoral
Queen Victoria and family experience the new 'cinematograph process'
Overview
Victoria’s diary records both the day that the film was shot and the day it was projected. Her review: "it is a very wonderful process"
Queen Victoria’s diary records on October 3rd 1896: "We all were photographed by Downey by the new cinematograph process, which makes moving pictures by winding off a reel of films. We were walking up and down, and the children jumping about." Later (Nov 23rd) the film was projected, and again, the Queen’s diary records that "After tea went to the Red drawing-room, where so-called 'animated pictures' were shown off including the groups taken… at Balmoral. It is a very wonderful process, representing people their movements and actions as if they were alive." So-called animated pictures, indeed. Here, preserved for posterity is the first ever film of Queen Victoria, her dog in her lap, trundling around for the camera.
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