Alfred C. Abadie

Alfred Camille Abadie (December 9, 1878 – January 1, 1950) was an American photographer and pioneer filmmaker who worked for Thomas Edison. He specialized in actuality films, a predecessor to the standard form of documentary. In 2019, Abadie's Emigrants Landing at Ellis Island was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation.[1][2] The two minute film was the first to record a ferryboat docking at Ellis Island with dozens of passengers disembarking.

Alfred C. Abadie
Born
Alfred Camille Abadie

(1878-12-09)December 9, 1878
New York City
DiedJanuary 1, 1950(1950-01-01) (aged 71)
San Francisco
Years active1896-1917
Spouse(s)Natalie Evaline Harris Abadie

Biography

A New York City native, Abadie began as camera assistant to James H. White at the Edison Studio around 1898. In 1903, Edison sent Abadie to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to make actuality films. This is thought to possibly have been an attempt to keep up with similar subjects popularized by the Lumières. Abadie returned to the United States and kept making similar films for Edison through at least 1904. After leaving Edison, Abadie continued to work as a freelance filmmaker and photographer. He made educational and industrial films, including Birth (1917), which is the first film of the birth of a baby.

Selected filmography

As a cinematographer
  • Railroad Smashup (1904)
  • Annual Baby Parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N.J. (1904)
  • Emigrants Landing at Ellis Island (1903)
  • Move On (1903)
  • Market Scene in Cairo, Egypt (1903)

As a director
  • Annual Baby Parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N.J. (1904)
  • Move On (1903)

As a writer
  • Birth (1917)

As a producer
  • Turning the Tables (1903)

As an actor

See also

References
  1. "Women Rule 2019 National Film Registry". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  2. "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2020-09-30.


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