Boxing cats | 1894 | Short, Silent, Nonfiction

Title: Boxing cats | 1894 | Short, Silent, Nonfiction Director: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise Studio: Edison Manufacturing Co. Starring: Henry Welton Release Date: 1894 Runtime: 0.33 Format: 35 mm; silent; black-and-white; Kinetoscope subject; 1 reel; approx. 33 ft; 20 s at 27 fps Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Short, Silent, Nonfiction, Novelty --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Ring and trainer revealed 00:00:05 Cats square off 00:00:10 Mid-bout sparring 00:00:15 Final flurry 00:00:20 Close --- Summary: Two trained cats, outfitted with miniature boxing gloves, spar in a small ring while their trainer, Professor Henry Welton, oversees the exhibition. The brief film presents a vaudeville-style novelty act, capturing the humor and curiosity of anthropomorphic animal performance. The subject exemplifies early motion pictures’ interest in staged demonstrations and variety entertainment, offering a glimpse of how spectacle and everyday amusements were adapted for the Kinetoscope. --- Background: Filmed at Thomas Edison’s Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey, the production was created by the Edison Manufacturing Co. in 1894. William K.L. Dickson, a key figure in Edison’s film operations, produced and is often credited alongside cameraman William Heise. The act features Henry Welton’s touring “cat circus,” part of the vaudeville culture that supplied many early Edison subjects. The film’s extremely short length reflects the technical limitations and peep-show exhibition format of the Kinetoscope. --- Trivia: The Library of Congress lists the film’s duration as approximately 20 seconds at 27 frames per second and notes a physical length of about 33 feet. It was filmed circa July 1894 in the Black Maria, widely regarded as America’s first movie studio. Cataloged genres include novelty films and peep shows, indicating it was intended for single-viewer Kinetoscope parlors rather than projected screenings. Henry Welton is credited as the featured performer, with William Heise operating the camera. No copyright registration is recorded for this title in Library of Congress notes. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 1894 Original Studio / Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Co. Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: BoxingCats 1894 Edison Kinetoscope SilentFilm BlackAndWhite BlackMaria PublicDomain Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/00694112/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/00179897/00179897.mp4