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Film, Video Japanese acrobats

About this Item

Title

  • Japanese acrobats

Summary

  • An Oriental man and boy walk on a stage with a painted backdrop of a garden or park, give a slight bow to the camera as if it were an audience member, and remove their silk jackets. Both wear dark tights and leotards with light-colored slippers; the man also wears grey trunks, and the boy sports a white cloth around his middle. Lying on his back on a fitted mat, the man juggles and spins the boy with his feet. The boy's acrobatic movements include spinning in a tucked ball-like position, flipping lengthwise in a prone position, flipping from a standing position to a shoulder-stand, somersaulting from a standing to a sitting position, repeated flips involving both the hands and feet of the man, and other series of somersaults and turns. After finishing the act, the acrobats take a slight bow and run off the stage, then return for another bow before finally exiting.
  • "A Japanese juggler performs some marvelous juggling feats with a boy. Lying on his back on the floor, he spins the boy with his feet and makes him turn numerous somersaults. 120 ft"--Edison films catalog no. 288.

Names

  • Porter, Edwin S., camera.
  • Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
  • Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • United States : Edison Manufacturing Co., 1904.

Headings

  • -  Acrobats--United States
  • -  Acrobatics--United States
  • -  Japanese--United States

Genre

  • Filmed vaudeville acts
  • Silent films
  • Short films
  • Nonfiction films

Notes

  • -  H45038 U.S. Copyright Office
  • -  Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 29Apr1904; H45038.
  • -  Original main title lacking.
  • -  Camera, Edwin S. Porter.
  • -  Duration: 1:44 at 18 fps.
  • -  Filmed April 20, 1904 in Edison's New York City studio.
  • -  Paper print shelf number (LC 1658) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
  • -  Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
  • -  Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
  • -  Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 166; AFI catalog: film beginnings, 1893-1910, p. 150; Edison films catalog, no. 288, July 1906, p. 48.
  • -  Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.
  • -  paper pos (copies 1 and 2) Received: 1904-29-04; copyright deposit; Paper Print Collection.
  • -  Paper print roll lacking suffix.

Medium

  • viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 120 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 120 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • master pos pic 1 film reel of 1 (ca. 55 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • paper pos 1 roll of 1 (ca. 120 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.
  • paper pos (copy 2) 1 roll of 1 (ca. 120 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • FLA 4672 (viewing print)
  • FEC 2179 (viewing print)
  • FRA 1700 (dupe neg pic)
  • FPE 7672 (dupe neg pic)
  • FRB 1476 (master pos pic)
  • Box 0087 (paper pos)
  • Box 5117 (paper pos, copy 2)

Source Collection

  • Niver (Kemp) Collection (Library of Congress)

Repository

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

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 96515946

Online Format

  • video
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress American Variety Stage collection is in the public domain and is free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Porter, Edwin S., Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Paper Print Collection. Japanese Acrobats. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1904. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/96515946/.

APA citation style:

Porter, E. S., Thomas A. Edison, I. & Paper Print Collection. (1904) Japanese Acrobats. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/96515946/.

MLA citation style:

Porter, Edwin S., Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Paper Print Collection. Japanese Acrobats. United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1904. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/96515946/>.