Lumière

A stationary camera looks west across Niagara Falls from the United States' side (the Niagara River rushes toward the falls from right to left). Virtually overlooking the falls and surrounded by the swift current not far from the camera is a small island where six or eight tourists watch the water, talk, and move about.

A stationary camera looks across a busy corner toward a store front marked "The Divan." The words "des fees" are beneath. A cortege of Arabs, about 20 persons in the party, walk past; the dignitaries are in front, attended by men with horns and drums. Coming in the other direction are local Swiss, who pay little attention, and a group of native-garbed Africans. The dozen or so well-dressed denizens of Geneva who are sitting on the steps of the Divan take it all in.

Several shots of the carnival in Nice, floats and parade costumes, passing along the crowded streets.

A street scene in Munich from the Lumière Brothers.

Asian and Near Eastern diplomats and royalty file past the camera on their way to the coronation of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.

Released on October 4, 1896 in Lyon ( France ) under the title “ Fêtes de l'inauguration du monument de Guillaume Ier à Breslau : II. - Le voile tombe (Lyon républicain, 4 octobre 1896)”. (catalogue-lumiere.com)

A libidinous construction worker uses his charm and bravado in an attempt to attain enough finances to build his dream project.

19th century carnival ride.

Circulation of passers-by and cars in the paved street on the occasion of the Tsar's coronation.

Turcos regiment parade.

A Berlin street scene.

A photographer has his camera all set up to take a gentleman's picture. The subject checks his face in a hand mirror, and the photographer poses him. Just as the photographer is about to take the picture, the subject gets up to look at the camera more closely. The frustrated photographer soon becomes quite impatient.

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

A small boy brings a plate of milk to a big cat, grooming itself.

Women getting onto a rickshaw.

Lumière Catalogue No. 706. A moving shot taken from the electric train in Liverpool. Its vantage reveals ships and lumberyards.

A clergyman is startled by a group of automatons.

People gather at the exit of the St. Trophime cathedral in Arles.