Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#1

Post by jamesbritt » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 6:32 PM UTC

Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central
nydailynews.com

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#2

Post by apinstein » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 7:04 PM UTC

You know what strikes me most about that video? The tunnels and supports are so clean! Very cool.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#3

Post by nateberkopec » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 7:08 PM UTC

Is that some sort of lighting rig on a parallel track? Is there any more information about how this film was made? Seems like a pretty big achievement for the time.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#4

Post by greenyoda » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 7:35 PM UTC

A good view of people on the platform starts at about 4:20.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#5

Post by greenyoda » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 7:38 PM UTC

nateberkopec wrote: post #3

Is that some sort of lighting rig on a parallel track? Is there any more information about how this film was made? Seems like a pretty big achievement for the time.

It looks like it was shot from another train that was following the pictured one. There may have been additional lighting, but the train could have just been illuminated by the headlights of the train behind it.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#6

Post by clicks » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 7:48 PM UTC

Reminds me of this video: http://www.wimp.com/sanfrancisco/ -- uninterrupted San Francisco footage from 1905. Very surreal, extremely captivating.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#7

Post by Retric » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 8:03 PM UTC

What really struck me was the lack of those those safety bumps and lights on the ground near the edge of the platform. It's such a basic part of what I think of as a subway platform but clearly took a while before they showed up.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#8

Post by brandnewlow » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 8:18 PM UTC

clicks wrote: post #6

Reminds me of this video: http://www.wimp.com/sanfrancisco/ -- uninterrupted San Francisco footage from 1905. Very surreal, extremely captivating.

And here's the same shot a few years later after the earthquake. Just devastating: http://archive.org/details/tmp_50168

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#9

Post by maxerickson » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 8:27 PM UTC

nateberkopec wrote: post #3

Is that some sort of lighting rig on a parallel track? Is there any more information about how this film was made? Seems like a pretty big achievement for the time.

The company that filmed it started producing movies in 1895, so they probably had a handle on the film aspects by 1905:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000524/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Mutoscope_and_Biograp...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bitzer

I think there is only a parallel train for a portion of the trip, so I agree with the sibling that the lighting is coming from the train behind.

Re: Video reveals NYC subway ride 108 years ago from Union Square to Grand Central

#10

Post by noonespecial » Sun, Aug 04, 2013, 8:28 PM UTC

greenyoda wrote: post #4

A good view of people on the platform starts at about 4:20.

I'm not sure if its an artifact of the camera, a result of their clothes or something cultural but its fascinating to watch them walk.

The men especially all walk differently than people today. Their posture and demeanor is almost alien. Its almost like they're all walking down an invisible incline.