''The Martyred Presidents'' is a 1901 American film directed by Edwin S. Porter.

Plot summary

The film, just over a minute long, is composed of two shots. In the first, a girl sits at the base of an altar or tomb, her face hidden from the camera. At the center of the altar, a viewing portal displays the portraits of three

U.S. Presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in pa ...

— Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley—each victims of

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

. In the second shot, which runs just over eight seconds long, an assassin kneels at the feet of Lady Justice.

Production

Evocative of early

magic lantern The magic lantern, also known by its Latin name , is an early type of image projector that used pictures—paintings, prints, or photographs—on transparent plates (usually made of glass), one or more lenses, and a light source. Because a sin ...

and Phantasmagoria shows, ''The Martyred Presidents'' is part of a cycle of films made by the

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Thom ...

to chronicle the

McKinley assassination William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the ...

in Buffalo, New York at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. An Edison catalog from the time suggests to exhibitors that ''The Martyred Presidents'' be used as a closing tableau when "...shown in connection with the funeral ceremonies of the illustrious McKinley."

References

External links

* * 1901 films 1901 short films 1900s American films 1900s English-language films American black-and-white films American silent short films Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln Assassination of James A. Garfield Cultural depictions of James A. Garfield Assassination of William McKinley Cultural depictions of William McKinley Films about assassinations Films directed by Edwin S. Porter Surviving American silent films {{short-silent-film-stub

Plot summary

Production

See also

References

External links