Panoramic views of cityscapes are always interesting and this film, shot on a sunny day in April 1905 by future movie director Wallace McCutcheon (who would, I believe, eventually be replaced by a young D. W. Griffith at Biograph a couple of years after this film was shot) is no exception.
The film begins with a vertical pan before a second shot scans the city's rooftops. Over 100 years ago New York was already a sprawling mass of closely gathered buildings but by contrast the streets were relatively clear. On a main thoroughfare only a handful of vehicles can be seen. It would be interesting to go back to that day to discover how quiet the city streets were, how clean the air...
The film begins with a vertical pan before a second shot scans the city's rooftops. Over 100 years ago New York was already a sprawling mass of closely gathered buildings but by contrast the streets were relatively clear. On a main thoroughfare only a handful of vehicles can be seen. It would be interesting to go back to that day to discover how quiet the city streets were, how clean the air...