Athlete with Wand | 1894 | Documentary, Short

Title: Athlete with Wand | 1894 | Documentary, Short Director: William K.L. Dickson Studio: Edison Manufacturing Company Runtime: 1 Format: 35mm; black-and-white; silent; 1.33:1; Kinetoscope Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Documentary, Short, Sports --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening stance 00:00:10 Warm-up with wand 00:00:25 Knee bends and stretches 00:00:40 Twists and posture 00:00:52 Closing pose --- Summary: A gymnast performs a brief exercise routine with a short staff or wand, demonstrating controlled movements and changes in stance. A dog in the foreground occasionally acknowledges the action, underscoring the film’s observational, non-narrative character. The film documents a simple act for the Kinetoscope era, emphasizing physical motion and clarity of pose rather than story, consistent with Edison’s early catalog of filmed performances. --- Background: Produced at Thomas Edison’s Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey, the film was photographed by William Heise and features an athlete likely associated with the Newark Turnverein. Surviving documentation records a length of approximately 37 feet and identifies the variant title “Leçon de baton,” situating the piece among Edison’s early series of athletic subjects for Kinetoscope exhibition. --- Trivia: Shot circa February 1894 at the Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey. The subject is described as an athlete from the local Newark Turnverein; a black dog appears in the foreground. A 35mm, 1.33:1 Kinetoscope title, it survives in the Library of Congress . No copyright registration is recorded for the film in contemporary listings. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: April 1894. Original Studio / Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Company. Copyright Status: Public Domain. Renewal: No. --- Hashtags: AthleteWithWand 1894 SilentFilm Edison Kinetoscope PublicDomain Documentary ShortFilm WilliamKLDickson LibraryOfCongress Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/00694110/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/00179298/00179298.mp4