104th Street curve, New York, elevated railway

OTHER TITLES
Title in Edison films catalog: 104th St. curve, New York elevated railway

CREATED/PUBLISHED
United States : Edison Manufacturing Co., 1899.

SUMMARY
From Edison films catalog: Taken from the front platform of a special train run backward over the celebrated S curve. Not only are the passing trains and crowded platforms of great interest, but the view of up-town New York is an excellent one, showing acre upon acre of roofs, towers, steeples and towering apartment houses. As the "special" slows up at 92nd Street, a Harlem express dashes by, the engineer leaning out of his cab, and waving a good-bye. 150 feet. $22.50.

NOTES
Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 22Apr1899; 27964.

Duration: 2:18 at 16 fps.

Filmed ca. late March to mid-April 1899, in New York, New York.

Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Musser, C. Edison motion pictures 1890-1900, 1997, p. 497-98; Niver, K.R. Early motion pictures, 1985; Edison films catalog, no. 105, July 1901, p. 89 [MI].

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• early
• silent
• cinema
• edison
• films
• new
• york
• manhattan
• elevated
• railway

[iacomastro]

Calling it "Fascinating" is not enough: think of all that people, died long ago, and think of all them living behind the little windows you can see from the train... Try to think you are one of them looking through those windows.

Waiting to see the train, maybe.

[MrMeaty727]

i like the sign@ 18 seconds.

[travelsonic]

"

NOTES

Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 22Apr1899; 27964. "

Unless the estate extended the copyrights, it is now public domain / has been for a long while.

[JohnnyT002]

@YANKEEBOY114 Yes the buildings are on an angle plus the stores on 110th and Columbus ave are still street level since the EL train passed over them. It was the same with on 8th ave till they put those tall buildings there..I was also able to find some pictures of the area when the EL did run there.

[YANKEEBOY114]

@JohnnyT002

Really? Wow, that's awesome, where do you see that buildings curve? I've been there many times and I've never noticed.

[JohnnyT002]

@eddie1967 Yes I do beleive it is the 110th street curve before they added the 110th street station. I have seen still photos of this area with the station and with out the 110th St station.

[JohnnyT002]

You can still see how the buildings on 110th Street and Columbus Ave are built around the El train turning there.

[backintheday1940]

iacomastro--your comment moves me as much as this wonderful old film does. I love to think of what's happening behind windows in old, old photographs. It's a splendid form of reverie. Thank you for mentioning it. @And thank you, uncommonplacebook. This is a very evocative piece of film.

[iacomastro]

@sawyergarpy Thanks. I love old footages...

[sawyergarpy]

@iacomastro a wonderful poignant remark

[Redbirdfan33]

@MrMeaty727 lol

[priscianusjr]

I rode on the Myrtle Avenue El once in 1957 with a school friend of mine. It was an open-gate car (so called BU car, of course motorized). We asked the motorman how fast it could go, and I still remember his answer: "Oh, it can go very fast all right. Any fool can drive one of these things -- but it takes a motorman to know how to stop one" The Myrtle Avenue line was the last in the USA still using gated cars.