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Film, Video Ameta Ameta the lily dance

About this Item

Title

  • Ameta

Other Title

  • Ameta the lily dance

Summary

  • Two large squares of white fabric completely cover a woman standing on a stage with a paneled wall as a backdrop. The fabric is supported in front and back of her by some sort of flexible poles along the top edge. The woman bends these rods and peaks out from the resulting hole, with her head and neck visible. She then performs what appears to be a variation on a skirt dance , with the fabric acting as a type of voluminous costume; she is actually wearing a full-length decorated dress. Holding the poles in either hand, she twirls the fabric about her, in both a front-to-back and side-to-side motion. She closes by twirling herself so that the fabric forms an upward-moving spiral, completely covering her upper body.

Names

  • Ameta, performer.
  • Armitage, F. S., camera.
  • American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
  • Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • United States : American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903.

Headings

  • -  Skirt dancing

Genre

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

Notes

  • -  H30752 U.S. Copyright Office
  • -  Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 24Apr1903; H30752.
  • -  Original main title lacking.
  • -  Camera, F.S. Armitage.
  • -  Performer: Ameta.
  • -  Duration: 0:26 at 16 fps.
  • -  Ads in the New York clipper proclaim "mirror dancer" Ameta "the most elaborate act in vaudeville." They describe four dances performed by Ameta, none of which appears to be the dance featured in this film: a "shower of confetti, ribbons;" a "prismatic fountain of real water;" a fire dance; and "mysterious transparent scenery," all performed on "a full stage setting of silk plush [and] eight large French plate mirrors".
  • -  Biograph production no. 2344.
  • -  Paper print shelf number (LC 0405) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
  • -  Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
  • -  Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site.
  • -  Filmed April 1, 1903, in the Biograph New York City studio.
  • -  Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 7; AFI cat.: film beginnings, 1893-1910; Biograph photo catalog, v. 5, no. 2344. [MI]; New York clipper, 3-21-1903, p. 97 and 8-30-1902, p. 587; Biograph production logs, v. 2.
  • -  Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.
  • -  35 mm dupe neg pic renumbered: FPE 8549 to FZA 2053.

Medium

  • viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (16 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • viewing print 1 reel of 1 (26 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (16 ft.) : si., b&w ; 16 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 1 reel of 1 (26 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
  • paper pos 1 roll of 1 (ca. 25 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.
  • paper pos (copy 2) 1 roll of 1 (ca. 25 ft.) : b&w ; 35 mm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • FLA 3419 (viewing print)
  • FEC 2526 (viewing print)
  • FRA 0063 (dupe neg pic)
  • FZA 2053 (dupe neg pic)
  • Box 0729A (paper pos)
  • Box 5576A (paper pos, copy 2)

Repository

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

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 96520338

Online Format

  • image
  • video

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:

Armitage, F. S., Camera, American Mutoscope And Biograph Company, and Paper Print Collection. Ameta. performeds by Ameta United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/96520338/.

APA citation style:

Armitage, F. S., American Mutoscope And Biograph Company & Paper Print Collection. (1903) Ameta. Ameta, performer United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/96520338/.

MLA citation style:

Armitage, F. S., Camera, American Mutoscope And Biograph Company, and Paper Print Collection. Ameta. performer by Ameta United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/96520338/>.