Le Prince: Leeds Bridge 1888

Directed by Ken Jacobs

Writes Ken Jacobs: "Louis-Aimé-Augustin Le Prince was the first person to create, in 1885, a single recording apparatus that photographed images in quick succession on George Eastman's new paper roll film. Le Prince applied for patents but the fix was in, leaving Edison and the Lumière Brothers to profit from his invention. He vanished under mysterious circumstances in 1890. Well, that's business, but I'm sure personal malice was not involved. In 1888 he made a number of short recordings. Here we see Leeds Bridge on a day like any other, its foot and carriage traffic as portentous or as casual as the crisscrossings of the stars. Looped, we Tom Tom some of its infinity of captured gesture."