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President McKinley Inauguration Footage
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Wikipedia article
'President McKinley Inauguration Footage' is the name given to two different short documentary films which were combined as one. The two titles are 'President McKinley Taking the Oath' and 'President McKinley and Escort Going to the Capitol'. The two show President William McKinley arriving at the United States Capitol in order to take the oath of office for President of the United States as part of his second inauguration on March 4, 1901.
Both were produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, under the direction of Thomas Edison , and in 2000 the United States Library of Congress deemed the two "culturally significant" and selected them for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Production
Edison's crew shot the films on location on March 4, 1901 and released their footage less than two weeks later. The notes stated they had a camera and were "within twenty feet of the President's carriage when it passed," giving the general public an unprecedentedly intimate view of a United States President. The crew captured their images on several campers placed on rudimentary tripods that made it difficult to pan or tilt while filming.
Release
Press accounts described the film receiving "great applause" and causing "pandemonium" during its screenings.
See also
*'Inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth', another early film (released January 1901) showing a national leader being sworn in.
References
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