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Historical Videos Provided by the Library of Congress
Historical Videos Provided by the Library of Congress
The collection of the Library of Congress: America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894 to 1915, consists of 150 motion pictures of work, school, and leisure activities in the United States from 1894 to 1915
The George Kleine Collection consists of films obtained by film distributor and producer George Kleine. The collection includes films produced from 1898 to 1926, representing films by the Edison Company, French and Italian imports, and those produced by Kleine.
Here is a selection of Western-themed video documents we've culled from the Library of Congress collection: 17 videos -- Plus 8 videos from other historical resources
Here is a selection of Western-themed video documents we've culled from the Library of Congress collection: 17 videos -- Plus 8 videos from other historical resources
- Cattle Driven to Slaughter
"A herd of long-horn cattle being driven through the Chicago stock yard gates to the slaughter house, where 280 of the animals are killed every hour of the day"--Maguire & Baucus catalogue. Part of the Erie Railroad series. The following subjects present novel and interesting views along the line of the Erie, such as do not always come within the observation of the general...
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - Heise, William - White, James H. (James Henry)
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694171/
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694171/
- Sheep run, Chicago Stockyards
"A large flock of sheep being driven over the runs from the cars to the slaughter beds. The sheep, pressed by the driver and frightened by the surroundings and confusion, move very fast"--Maguire & Baucus catalogue
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - Heise, William - White, James H. (James Henry)
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694304/
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694304/
- Cattle Leaving the Corral
Taken at Hacienda de Soledad, Sabinas Mexico, and shows a herd of 900 cattle being driven out of the corral, after having been branded. This immense herd, driven by Mexican cowboys, comes through the gates head-on to the audience. The cattle with their large horns, as they crowd together and push rapidly out through the gates, make an interesting picture"--Edison films, March 15, 1898.
Contributor: Blechynden, Frederick - Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - White, James H. (James Henry)
Date: 1898 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564530/
Date: 1898 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564530/
4. Racing at Sheepshead Race Track, New York
4. Racing at Sheepshead Race Track, New York
Facility built at Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York
"The finish and weighing out of a running race with nine starters. Won by famous Clifford, Sloane up. 50 feet"--Edison films catalog.
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - Heise, William - White, James H. (James Henry)
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694285/
Date: 1897 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694285/
5. Stagecoaches Arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
Arrival of Yellowstone Park coaching party5. Stagecoaches Arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park
"The following pictures were taken by our artists at various points on the Northern Pacific Railway...The scene is the broad piazza of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, and shows the arrival of tourists. Up dashes a spanking team of six, seemingly as fresh and spirited as when they started. Friends who are waiting on the piazza rush to greet the new arrivals and help...
Contributor: Blechynden, Frederick - Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - White, James H. (James Henry)
Date: 1899 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694178/
Date: 1899 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00694178/
6. Calf Branding
6. Calf Branding
The cameraman placed his camera near a fire where some branding irons were being heated. As the film begins, three men can be seen going through the various operations of branding calves. In the background is a large herd of cattle.
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress)
Date: 1898 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564555/
Date: 1898 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564555/
7. Herding Horses Across a River
7. Herding Horses Across a River
A large number of horses are swimming in a deep river. The cowboys urge them on and do some fancy riding while their ponies swim across. One of the men loses his balance while kneeling on the back of his pony and gets an unexpected bath"--Edison films catalog, no. 288.
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - Abadie, Alfred C. (Alfred Camille)
Date: 1904 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564532/
Date: 1904 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564532/
8. Driving Cattle to Pasture
8. Driving Cattle to Pasture
The camera was placed to get the best view of the many cattle being driven toward grazing land. Edision Foundation records (envelope 135): "photographed by A. C. Abadie, May 9, 1904, Bliss, Oklahoma Territory. Showing a large number of cattle being rounded up in a pasture."
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) - Abadie, Alfred C. (Alfred Camille)
Date: 1904 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00563594/
Date: 1904 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00563594/
9. Rural Wagon Delivering Mail, U.S.P.O.
9. Rural Wagon Delivering Mail, U.S.P.O.
"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 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564537/
Date: 1903 View here: www.loc.gov/item/00564537/
10. Indian Day School
10. Indian Day School
The film was photographed from a single-camera position and shows the doorway of a building with a sign in front indicating it is the Isleta Indian School. Children less than ten years of age come out of the door of the school and pass in front of the camera. Filmed in Isleta, NM in October and November of 1897. The Pueblo of Isleta is nestled in the scenic Rio Grande Valley, 15 miles south of Albuquerque on Interstate 25 Exit 215. It is one of the larger 19 Pueblos within New Mexico and was established in the 1300s.
Contributor: White, James H. (James Henry), production, Blechynden, Frederick, camera, Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Date: 1898 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00564534/
Date: 1898 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00564534/
11. Scenes in San Francisco [No. 2]
11. Scenes in San Francisco [No. 2]
Panoramas filmed in the ruins of downtown San Francisco and outlying refugee camps following the 1906 earthquake and fire. Scenes include: Begins with a long, pan of downtown ruins viewed from Natoma Street between 4th and 3rd streets. The pan is from left to right (west to northeast). Buildings of interest: The old San Francisco Mint, with classic facade and two smokestacks is in the middle background. The unfinished frame of the Butler Building (now I. Magnin's department store) rises behind the ruined apse of St. Patrick's Church on Mission Street. Note that the church facade had been demolished. The arched facade may be St. Patrick's School on Natoma Street. Next is a pan showing the ruins of San Francisco's City Hall, most of the visible damage being caused by the earthquake, not the subsequent fire. City Hall was located between Larkin and McAllister streets and set a block back from Market Street. The camera view is across Market Street from the west side of 8th Street. The pan is from northwest to northeast. The camera pans to the left across one of the refugee camps located in public parks and undeveloped areas in the unburnt parts of the city. The umbrella and wall tents were army issue; the wooden shacks were built on site. This may be camp #13 at Clinton Mound, at Market and Duboce streets. The crowd at left may be passing through the main entrance to Market Street. This is the start of a panorama of a well-organized camp, probably in the Presidio, the U.S. Army base. These Chinese refugees are receiving their ration of food, and the distributor writes down each portion given out. Refugees from Chinatown were gathered at nearby Fort Mason, then moved to the Presidio Golf Links. Complaints of unpleasant cooking odors led to a third move to another Presidio location. People watch safecrackers at work (note the sign advertising their services). Thick dust obscures Market Street and the distant Ferry Building. [2902] The ruins of the opulent Palace Hotel (left) and its modern neighbor, the Monadnock Building (right) are visible. Looking across 3rd Street, the camera shows the dynamited remains of the Hearst Building and the exposed interior of the Monadnock Building. Finally, the camera looks down 3rd Street as a Keuffel Poster Company cart (drafting and surveying supplies) passes.
Contributors: Gove, Otis M. (Otis Meader), 1851-1931, camera.
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Date: 1906 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694428/
Date: 1906 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694428/
12. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
12. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
The film shows a parade down Fifth Avenue, New York. In the foreground many children, both black and white, can be seen following alongside the parade. The participants in the parade include cowboys, Indians, and soldiers in the uniform of the United States Cavalry on horseback and riding horse-drawn coaches. Buffalo Bill can be seen on horseback, lifting his hat to the crowd.
Contributor Names
Armitage, F. S., camera.
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Date: 1902 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694397/
Date: 1902 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694397/
13. Parade of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, No. 2
13. Parade of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, No. 2
Crowds of people watch a parade of Buffalo Bill's Wild West in Newark, New Jersey. In the procession are mounted cavalry, American Indians, Arabs, Cossacks, Turks, Abysinnians, hosts of other riders, and many carriages.
Contributor Names
Heise, William, production, camera.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Date: 1898 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2015600173/
Date: 1898 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2015600173/
14. Horsehair Rope
14. Horsehair Rope
Richard Ahlborn interviews Les Stewart while he demonstrates how to make horsehair rope to be used as hackamores, reins, and lead rope.
- Hackamores are a type of halter used with some frequency in the California/Northern Great Basin region, especially to break horses. The word is derived from the Spanish jaquima, meaning halter. A hackamore consists of a braided rawhide bosal or noseband, a braided rawhide headstall with associated leather strips, and a macardy. Macardy (or McCarty) is derived from the Spanish mecate, meaning horsehair rope.
- The macardy forms a hackamore's reins and lead rope. Ahlborn is shown holding one at the midpoint of the video. As Les explains, custom dictated a macardy twenty-two feet long which, when knotted to the bosal, provided eight-foot reins and a twelve-foot lead rope. It was created by twisting a forty-five foot strand and doubling it. The doubled strand was twisted, and thereby shortened, yielding the twenty-two-foot rope.
- Les learned to make the hair twister from his father, who had seen Mexicans use the device on the California border. He made this example the day before the interview, carved in his initials and the date, and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution. It was included in the "Buckaroos in Paradise" exhibition.
- Other devices are also used to twist horsehair rope. Les said that mechanical apple-peelers could be adapted for this purpose, and joked that many a cowboy's wife had been discomfited to discover that her kitchen tool was being used to twist horsehair.
Contributor Names
Stewart, Leslie J. (Narrator)
Marshall, Howard W. (Interviewer)
Gastañaga, Linda (Interviewer)
Ahlborn, Richard E. (Narrator)
Date: 1978 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/ncr002402/
Date: 1978 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/ncr002402/
15. Annie Oakley
15. Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley, the "Little Sure Shot" of the "Wild West," in an exhibition of rifle shooting.
Contributor Names
Oakley, Annie, 1860-1926, performer.
Heise, William, camera.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Hendricks (Gordon) Collection (Library of Congress)
Date: 1895 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694108/
Date: 1895 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694108/
16. Bucking Bronco
16. Bucking Bronco
From Edison films catalog: A fine exhibition of horsemanship by Lee Martin, a genuine cowboy. This particular broncho is an unusually wicked one. 40 feet.
Contributor Names
Dickson, W. K.-L. (William Kennedy-Laurie), 1860-1935, production.
Heise, William, camera
Martin, Lee, performer.
Hammitt, Frank, performer.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
Hendricks (Gordon) Collection (Library of Congress)
Date: 1894 View here : https://www.loc.gov/item/00694113/
Date: 1894 View here : https://www.loc.gov/item/00694113/
17. Hopi Indians dance for TR at [Walpi, Ariz.]
17. Hopi Indians dance for TR at [Walpi, Ariz.]
On August 20, 1913, TR, numerous visitors, and Hopi Indians observe the performance of the ritual Hopi snake-dance at Walpi, Arizona, on the Hopi Reservation. TR was on a journey through the Southwest with his sons Archie and Quentin, and a young cousin, Nicholas Roosevelt. Crowds, seated and standing, are scattered over adobe dwellings watching the ceremony. The snake-dance takes place around a rough column of rock, with Hopis, in native dress and carrying snakes in their hands and mouths, circling the rock. Close shot of TR, seated and apparently awaiting the beginning of the ritual. Brief shot of Arizona landscape.
Date: 1913 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/mp76000109/
Date: 1913 View here: https://www.loc.gov/item/mp76000109/
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Other Full Length Videos (Half Hour or more in length) on Western History given by contemporary lecturers
Other Full Length Videos (Half Hour or more in length) on Western History given by contemporary lecturers
1. Western Violence, Law, & Order | The American West: History, Myth, and Legacy | The Great Courses
1. Western Violence, Law, & Order | The American West: History, Myth, and Legacy | The Great Courses
NEW! A half hour video presentation of the Great Courses hosted by YouTube
NEW! A half hour video presentation of the Great Courses hosted by YouTube
The brutal conflict of cowboys and Indians. Dusty, dangerous outposts policed by vigilante justice. The six-shooter showdown at high noon. Daring railroad heists and arduous cattle drives. These and other scenes from countless Western films have so shaped our conception of the American West that it’s impossible to separate myth from reality. But how wild was the West? Was it really ever “won”? According to historian and award-winning Professor Patrick N. Allitt of Emory University, the historical approach to understanding the American West has moved far beyond pop culture in recent years. “Nearly all the clichés and bromides of the old Western history have been discarded,” he says. “We’re now much more aware of the histories, not just of the people who happened to end up on top—but also the histories of the diverse peoples who were defeated or displaced.”
Date: 2017 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7quDwVOG8k
Date: 2017 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7quDwVOG8k
Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
2. America's Great Indian Nations - Full Length Documentary
2. America's Great Indian Nations - Full Length Documentary
NEW! Documentary produced by Questar Entertainment. hosted by YouTube
NEW! Documentary produced by Questar Entertainment. hosted by YouTube
This is the first comprehensive history of six great Indian nations, dramatically filmed on location at their native tribal lands across America, using reenactments, archival footage, maps and original music. The story of the Iroquois, Seminole, Shawnee, Navajo, Cheyenne, and Lakota Sioux nations unfolds in their struggle to protect their lands, cultures, and freedoms. "Stirring reenactments." - Booklist Magazine.
Date: 2013 View here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MazI9dFA6ME
Date: 2013 View here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MazI9dFA6ME
Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
3. Mary Weahkee makes a turkey feather blanket
3. Mary Weahkee makes a turkey feather blanket
Mary Weahkee is of Comanche descent and an archaeologist for the State of New Mexico. She was commissioned by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe to re-create the ancient craft of making a blanket from thousands of turkey feathers, for an upcoming exhibit. In this video, captured over a period of many months, she demonstrates every step in the process from making yucca cordage from narrow-leaf yucca leaves, to the final weaving process.
Date: 2020 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L4qRn3RIDc
Date: 2020 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L4qRn3RIDc
Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
Videos hosted by Arizona State Museum
Videos hosted by Arizona State Museum
4. Protecting Tribal Lands and Sacred Places
4. Protecting Tribal Lands and Sacred Places
This is a one hour presentation by the Honorable Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, part of Arizona State Museum's "Border Barriers: History and Impact" series of talks about the history and impact of border barriers on people and the environment.
Date: 2020 View here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlaZoGZ_0_k
Date: 2020 View here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlaZoGZ_0_k
Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
Independent Videos on Western History
Independent Videos on Western History
5. Fray Marcos Monument in Lochiel, Arizona: a Ghost Town
5. Fray Marcos Monument in Lochiel, Arizona: a Ghost Town
Lochiel, now a ghost town, is a former border crossing town, 1.5 miles from the Santa Cruz River in the San Rafael Valley in South Central Arizona. A few structures and residents remain including a restored one room schoolhouse built around 1905. It is also the site of a monument built to honor Fray Marcos, accredited as the first European to enter what is now Arizona.
© 2010 - 2019 Southern Arizona Guide, LLC Design by Devil Dog Productions, LLCWatch this video from Mike Foster of San Pedro River Videos.
Watch this video from Mike Foster of San Pedro River Videos.
Date: ca . 2010-2019? View here: https://southernarizonaguide.com/fray-marcos-monument-in-lochiel-a-ghost-town/
Date: ca . 2010-2019? View here: https://southernarizonaguide.com/fray-marcos-monument-in-lochiel-a-ghost-town/
Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
6. Virtual Tour of Arroyo Hondo Pueblo
6. Virtual Tour of Arroyo Hondo Pueblo
Arroyo Hondo Pueblo – an Archaeological Conservancy preserve located just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Archaeological Conservancy's Virtual Tour Video Series
The Archaeological Conservancy's Virtual Tour Video Series
In Episode 1, you’ll learn more about this Coalition Period site, the exciting excavations that took place there in the 1970’s, and how the Conservancy came to acquire this fascinating place.
Hosted by YouTube: Click the "Full View" icon in the bottom right of the video window-- looks something like this: 【 】
7. Historical Videos Enhanced by AI
7. Historical Videos Enhanced by AI
These Nineteenth History videos have been digitally enhanced by Artificial Intelligence. They look stunningly contemporary.
They are hosted by Real Science. After clicking the link below click on these icons on your screen:
Original dates, ca. 1890's
Original dates, ca. 1890's
8. Birding at Historic Canoa Ranch
8. Birding at Historic Canoa Ranch
Birding experts Brian Nicholas and Jeffery Babson talk about the history of the Canoa Ranch area and gave tips on how to get into birding if you're just starting out. A new area to bird at the Historic Canoa Ranch, a six-acre pollinator garden, expanded the habitats available for birds and wildlife. The pollinator garden joins the lake and cienega.
August 31, 2020
August 31, 2020
For best viewing, click the "Full Screen" icon on the YouTube page: [ ] <== Looks something like this.
9. History of Historic Canoa Ranch
9. History of Historic Canoa Ranch
There are many local, state and national parks in Arizona where you can learn about history and culture in addition to nature. One of these destinations is about 40 miles south of Tucson, where workers are restoring the past for future generations. Narrated in part by Congressperson for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District, Raul M. Grijalva.
Arizona Public Media
Hosted by YouTube
May 11, 2017
May 11, 2017
For best viewing, click the "Full Screen" icon on the YouTube page: [ ] <== Looks something like this.
For best viewing, click the "Full Screen" icon on the YouTube page: [ ] <== Looks something like this.
10. John Wesley Powell in the Grand Canyon
10. John Wesley Powell in the Grand Canyon
John Wesley Powell was an original American adventurer and explorer. In 1869, he and his expedition of men became the first white men to enter the Grand Canyon in boats and live to tell about it. This video is an excerpt from Finley-Holiday Films' "The Complete Grand Canyon" video, available on Blu-ray and DVD. Available on location and from www.finleyholiday.com.
January 24, 2013
January 24, 2013
For best viewing, click the "Full Screen" icon on the YouTube page: [ ] <== Looks something like this
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