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We’ve collected the three oldest surviving films shot from a single-lens camera.
All three films were made in 1888 by Louis Le Prince, who disappeared in suspicious circumstances just before filing the patent for his invention. Ooh, creepy!
Here’s the video:
1. Roundhay Garden Scene
The first film ever made with a single camera was shot on October 24, 1888 in Roundhay, Leeds, England.
It is the oldest surviving film on record, verified by The Guinness Book of Records. At just over 2 seconds long, it was recorded at a whopping 12 frames per second on Le Prince’s latest invention, a single-lens camera.
Events surrounding the film were creepy to say the least. Within 4 years, one of the cast had died, another had been murdered and the inventor himself had vanished.
2. ‘Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge’
Louis Le Prince’s second known film, and the second film ever made, was produced in October 1888.
The original film no longer exists – photographic copies were used to recreate it digitally.
3. ‘Accordion Player’
This is the third film ever made, and for some reason, is of worse quality than the first two.
Nevertheless, Louis Le Prince has been heralded as The Father of Cinematography ever since. He disappeared while travelling on a train on 16 September 1890. His body was never found.
Over a hundred years later, a crime scene photograph of a drowned man was discovered, which is now believed to be him.
Au revoir, Louis!
