İl 1896

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

A man tries to get a good night's sleep, but is disturbed by a giant spider that leaps onto his bed, and a battle ensues in hilarious comic fashion.

A brief fantasy tale involving a strange fairy who can produce and deliver babies coming out of cabbages. This film is lost or never existed. Copies of it online are actually the 1900 remake.

A man has a fantastical nightmare involving, among other things, a grinning malevolent moon.

In a medieval castle, a dark magician thought to be Mephistopheles conjures up a series of bizarre creatures and events in order to torment a pair of interloping cavaliers.

A newlywed couple in front of their wedding-bed after their wedding. The woman undresses in front of her husband. A French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films made.

A male lion, right next to bars that are about 6 or 8 inches apart, keenly watches a uniformed zoo attendant toss small morsels of food into the cage. The lion alternates between finding the food on the cage floor and reaching through the bars to swipe at the man, who stays alarmingly close to the beast. In the background are the large rocks and brick wall at the back of the lion's habitat.

A group of black youths jumping from a dock into the water.

They get ready to kiss, begin to kiss, and kiss in a way that brings down the house every time.

Georges Méliès makes a woman disappear, then reappear.

Panoramic film from the Lumiere Catalogue.

Circulation of passers-by and cars in the paved street on the occasion of the Tsar's coronation.

Auguste Lumière directs four workers in the demolition of an old wall at the Lumière factory. One worker is pressing the wall inwards with a jackscrew, while another is pushing it with a pick. When the wall hits the ground, a cloud of white dust whirls up. Three workers continue the demolition of the wall with picks.

From the BFI Collection, this film is actually two films spliced together into one. The first is Birt Acres' work 'A Corner of Barnet Fair' which is the first film seen . This shows a merry-go-round and some people sitting in a doorway while street traffic goes by. The second film is a fragment of unknown origin of a street outside a very large building of what looks like a possible theatre, with a large Victorian awning. the shop next door appears to be selling wines and spirits. A horse drawn charabanc goes past, followed by a male bicyclist. This is closely followed by a male and female couple in an open carriage and two carts with workmen staring at the camera as they pass. Both films are believed to be from Barnet, given they have been spliced together. The film is in a deteriorated state with some rippling.

An ostrich pulls a cart carrying young women wearing ostrich-feather hats.

A series of short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson which chronicle the adventures of Rip Van Winkle.

A train arrives at Perrache station. We see the view from aboard the train.