Film, Video Scene in Chinatown

Title

• Scene in Chinatown

Summary

• This film was shot in an alley of San Francisco's Chinatown on Saturday, September 15, 1900, at midday. The topography of the site (sloping down to the far street), the width of the alley, the location of utility poles [Frame: 0255], and the location of buildings across the far street suggest that the view is north from Washington Street down Washington Place (today's Wentworth Street) to Jackson Street. Washington Place was known locally as Tuck Wo Gai ("Virtue and Harmony Street") and adjacent Washington Street was called Wa Sheng Dun Gai ("Waystation to Prosperity Street"). Washington Place was located in the northeast part of old Chinatown, just northwest of Portsmouth Square, around which gold rush San Francisco was built. Chinese provision stores lined the west (left) side of Washington Place, with fish and poultry stores on the east side. Three gambling houses were also located on the east side toward Jackson Street. The film features a group of white men ascending the alley [0625] before dispersing down Washington Street. Some Chinese residents are also seen. The group of men, one dressed as an inspector, may be members of the Health Department Committee on an inspection tour. A few Chinese men with characteristic queues are seen in the alley [1070] and several Chinese women in fashionable dress descend Washington Street near the end of the film.

Names

• Ackerman, Raymond, camera
• American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
• Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
• Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

• United States : American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, [1900].

Headings

• -  City and town life--California--San Francisco
• -  Chinese Americans--California--San Francisco
• -  Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.)

Genre

• Actualities (Motion pictures)
• Silent films
• Short films
• Nonfiction films

Notes

• -  H30730 U.S. Copyright Office
• -  Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 24Apr1903; H30730.
• -  Duration: 1:06 at 15 fps.
• -  Biograph production no. 1640.
• -  Paper print shelf number (LC 0375) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
• -  Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
• -  Sources used: Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 288; AFI catalog: film beginnings, 1893-1910, p. 947; Biograph production logs.
• -  Camera, Raymond Ackerman.
• -  Photographed: September 15, 1900. Location: Chinatown, San Francisco.
• -  Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.

Medium

• viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (22 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
• viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
• viewing print (copy 2) 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
• viewing print (copy 3) 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
• dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (22 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
• dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
• master pos pic 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 20 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
• master pos pic 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
• paper pos 1 roll of 1 (ca. 55 ft) : b&w ; 35 mm.
• paper pos (copy 2) 1 roll of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.

Call Number/Physical Location

• FLA 3389 (viewing print)
• FEB 9482 (viewing print)
• FEB 9483 (viewing print, copy 2)
• FEB 9484 (viewing print, copy 3)
• FRA 0686 (dupe neg pic)
• FPE 5471 (dupe neg pic)
• FRB 1187 (master pos pic)
• FPE 5496 (master pos pic)
• Box 0127F (paper pos)
• Box 5220J (paper pos, copy 2)

Repository

• Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA dcu

Digital Id

• https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/ntscrm.00045677

Library of Congress Control Number

• 00694411

Online Format

• image
• video

LCCN Permalink

• https://lccn.loc.gov/00694411

Additional Metadata Formats

• MARCXML Record
• MODS Record
• Dublin Core Record