Collection Items

  • Film, Video
    Lathrop School, calisthenics
    Title in AFI catalog, film beginnings, 1893-1910: Lathrop School, calisthenics, Missouri Commission
    A group of preadolescent boys and girls is standing in a row facing the camera position. In back of them is a wall on which is written "Kansas City, Mo." As the film progresses, the students go through a series of calisthenics, performing them in unison, and continue this throughout the film.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Missouri. Commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1904
  • Film, Video
    Coach at rural post office, U.S.P.O.
    Title from Biograph production log: Coach exchanging mail at rural P.O.
    This section of the postal film is concerned with a stagecoach pulled by four horses arriving and delivering a pouch of mail to a rural post office for rerouting. Also visible is the post office delivery wagon.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903
  • Film, Video
    Carriers leaving building, U.S.P.O. [Version 2]
    Carriers leaving building, United States Post Office
    Male letter carriers of the U.S. Post Office are the subject of this series on the Postal Department. The camera was placed to show a large number of uniformed mail carriers as they leave the main post office to deliver letters. They can be seen walking down the steps of the building toward the camera position. Some mount bicycles and ride away, while others...
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903
  • Film, Video
    Carriers leaving building, U.S.P.O. [Version 1]
    Carriers leaving building, United States Post Office
    The opening scene shows the steps of a large public building. Above the steps is a door out of which, coming toward the camera position, are approximately a hundred and fifty mail carriers of the postal service. They are in uniform and are all carrying mail bags. They continue down the steps in formation for the full length of the film.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903
  • Film, Video
    Rural wagon delivering mail, U.S.P.O.
    Rural wagon delivering mail, United States Post Office
    "The subject is the delivery of the U.S. mail in a rural area. The camera was positioned in full sight of a standard rural free delivery post box located in front of a well-kept house and garden. A small boy and girl walk past the camera position in front of the mail box. At that moment, a standard rural horse-drawn postal delivery wagon comes...
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903
  • Film, Video
    Wagons loading mail, U.S.P.O.
    Wagons loading mail, United States Post Office
    "The photographer placed his camera to encompass as much of the loading ramp of a mail delivery building as possible. As the film begins, several horse-drawn postal transportation vehicles are backed up to the ramp. At the end of the film, a postal delivery wagon pulled by one horse enters the scene and is backed against the ramp"--Early motion pictures.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903
  • Film, Video
    Basket ball, Missouri Valley College
    Basketball, Missouri Valley College
    "The subject is a basketball game played between teams of girls. The film shows a section of a basketball court in the foreground, the backboard, and the basket. In the background is a three-story brick schoolbuilding"--Early motion pictures.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1904
  • Film, Video
    Carriers at work, U.S.P.O.
    Title in Biograph production log: Carrier dumping, cancelling, sorting and tying, throwing mail into bags for destination | Variant title in Biograph production log: Carrier dumping, cancelling & sorting, U. S. P. O. Dept | Variant title from AFI catalog online: Carriers at work, U. S. P. O.
    "The subject is the handling and sorting of the U.S. mail. The sorting bags and the alphabetizing pigeonhole equipment are visible in a scene photographed from an altitude of approximately twenty-five feet. The placement of the equipment and its use by the post office personnel can be seen"--Early motion pictures.
    • Contributor: Weed, A. E. - Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress) - American Mutoscope and Biograph Company - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
    • Date: 1903