Peter Elfelt (1 January 1866 – 18 February 1931) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

photographer A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographe ...

and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

known as the first movie pioneer in Denmark when he began making

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

s in 1897.

Biography

Peter Elfelt was born Peter Lars Petersen in Denmark on 1 January 1866. (He changed his name to Elfelt when he began making films.) He apprenticed in photography in

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Jens Poul Andersen. In 1893, Elfelt opened his own atelier in Copenhagen with his two brothers as his assistants. As his photographic skills became appreciated, his business flourished and by 1901 Elfelt was named "Kongelige Hoffotograf" (Royal Court Photographer). During a trip to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1896, Elfelt obtained a set of detailed ''Cinematographe'' plans from the French inventor

Jules Carpentier Jules Carpentier (30 August 1851 – 30 June 1921) was a French engineer and inventor. Jules Carpentier was a student at the French École polytechnique. He bought the Ruhmkorff workshops in Paris when Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff died and ...

. He had a film camera constructed by Jens Poul Andersen. In the beginning of 1897, he shot the first Danish film – a one-minute sequence called '' Driving with Greenland Dogs'' ( da, Kørsel med grønlandske hunde). During the following 15 years, he made short nature films and newsreels about the Danish royal family. Elfelt shot almost 200 short films in all. Elfelts Fotoatelier (Østergade 24)

In 1903 Elfelt filmed his only drama. The short film, titled '' Henrettelsen'' (''Capital Execution''), was the first fiction film made in Denmark. Based upon the actual execution of a French woman who murdered her two children, it starred the singer Francesca Nathansen and was filmed in the arcade of the Christiansborg Castle. There is some doubt whether the film was ever shown in public. When Elfelt was asked in 1926 if he had ever filmed a drama, he remembered being reluctant about this film. Elfelt also shot the first advertising film. There is a 1904 example that advertises

bock beer Bock is a strong beer in Germany, usually a dark lager. Several substyles exist, including: *Doppelbock (''Double Bock''), a stronger and maltier version *Eisbock (''Ice Bock''), a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer and ...

for the

Svendborg Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,300 (1 January 2022), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.Marguerite Engberg, Dansk Stumfilm I (Copenhagen: Rhodos Forlag, 1977) Elfelt died on 18 February 1931.

Filmography

* ''

Kørsel med Grønlandske Hunde ''Driving with Greenland Dogs'', ( da, Kørsel med grønlandske hunde), is a Danish silent film made in 1897 by the photographer Peter Elfelt. It was the first movie sequence filmed in Denmark. The film, less than one minute in length (10 meters ...

'' (1897) * ''Kongelige skal fotograferes'' (1899) * ''Kejserinde Dagmars Ankomst til Helsingør'' (1900) * ''Czar Nikolai II's Ankomst til Helsingør'' (1901) * ''Dronning Alexandras Ankomst til Toldboden'' (1902) * ''Kejserinde Dagmars Ankomst til Bellevue'' (1902) * ''Kong Christian IX modtager Storhertug Friedrich-Franz af Mecklenburg Schwerin'' (1903) * ''Sylfiden'' (1903) * ''Tarantellen af Napoli'' (1903) * ''Kongejagt paa Hveen'' (1903) * ''Prinsesse Marie til Hest'' (1903) * ''De Kongelige paa Cykler i Fredensborg Slotsgaard'' (1903) * '' Henrettelsen'' (1903) * ''Kejser Wilhelms Ankomst til København'' (1903) * ''Ribe Domkirkes indvielse'' (1904) * ''Daniel Dalsgaards Kaffeforretning'' (1904) * ''Zigeunerdans af Troubaduren'' (1906) * ''Skiløb. Holmenkollen'' (1906) * ''Kong Haakons Besøg paa "Herluf Trolle"'' (1906) * ''Orfeus og Eurydike'' (1906) * ''Livjægerne paa Amager'' (1906) * ''Kong Frederik VIII's Proklamation'' (1906) * ''Islands Altings Besøg i København'' (1906) * ''Kong Frederik VIII's Ankomst til Berlin'' (1907)

References

External links

* *
Peter Elfelt
in Who's Who of Victorian Cinema
Peter Elfelt Films
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Elfelt, Peter 1866 births 1931 deaths 19th-century Danish photographers Cinema pioneers Danish film directors Pioneers of photography

Biography

Filmography

See also

References

External links