The great “Roller Skate Craze” of 1907 caught on film.
Seriously.
Filmmaker describes capturing “all walks of life” throughout NYC during this utter period of apparent roller skating chaos splendor.
My favorite moment could be when one guy falls over a very obviously humungous obstacle. But wait, is that a policeman skating along happily, only to then charge ahead later and literally fall head over heels over a woman? (Side note: is that the origin, or a play on our commonly-used phrase for crushing on a girl?)
This is quite possibly the very first “America’s Funniest Home Videos”. Except much, much better. Most likely a pop-culture cartoon in the form of film (the newest medium back then—and fairly frivolous—kinda like blogging.)
Do yourself a favor and watch it in slow motion.
[From the paper print film archives of the Library of Congress (no copyrights existed until 1912). Created/Published, United States: William N. Selig, 1907.]
(Source: memory.loc.gov)
I am a pretty serious Tesla partisan, but Edison’s library is rad.
Kim!!
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I stalked Tesla recently (far too recently for my generation) across the globe. He’s so much better than Edison.
Yet I totally agree with this Tumbl.
Things seem so much easier when they’re black & white.
(pictured: My grandparents, in the 1940s.) She was a reluctant Southern debutant and he was a dashing Navy pilot. They eloped and made everyone mad. Then they stayed married for fifty years.
I guess things were never easy. But sometimes things work out.
I love this only slightly more than about three of the songs on Julie Delpy’s French/English album. Both of which, by the way, are scarily close to being on par with chocolate and orgasms.
The very best scene from “Before Sunrise.” You know you wanna watch.
It really is … the. best. scene. From a truly great film.
More wiseassery on twitter @kimmance or check out kimmance.com
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