Nothing like canoeing on the Charles on a sultry summer day
By adamg - 6/23/12 - 11:37 am
The Library of Congress has a copy of a short movie taken on July 21, 1904 by Edwin S. Porter, a cameraman working for Thomas Edison:
About fifty canoes filled with people on an outing in the summertime were photographed from a single camera position from a bridge overlooking the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts.
Comments
Men canoeing in shirts and
Men canoeing in shirts and ties -- don't see that too often!
I'm guessing this was taken in Brighton ... or there used to be more trees along banks further downriver.
It might not be in Boston
It might not be in Boston precisely; canoeing was a huge thing at Norumbega and the surrounding area along the Charles.
Or West Roxbury?
Or West Roxbury?
West roxbury
Looking from bridge st towards cow island (millennium park)
Good timing!
So I was reading this blog while sitting on the bus when this headline came up: "Canoeing on the Charles." Then I looked up and realized that we were on a bridge over the Charles, so I looked out the window and got to watch the people canoeing by on the river below. Also, somebody was standing on a surf board and paddling.
The previous year, Edwin S. Porter
had directed what is considered the first film western, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY. He was filming mostly features for Edison at this point, so it's odd to find him still doing a novelty shot like this. Wonder if it was meant for inclusion in a feature?