At the start of the 20th Century, the most popular spectator sport in the world was horse racing. So it is hardly surprising that Edison was happy to offer a full reel of the events at the race track named for backer August Belmont, a name to be reckoned with at the time. Even today, the race track is one of the most prestigious in the United States, hosting the Belmont Stakes in early June, one of racing's "Triple Crown" events.
Unfortunately, the copy I looked at was muddy and low-contrast. I believe it was an early example of pulling copies from the Library of Congress's paper print collection, the books made from frames of a movie printed and bound and offered to the Library. Before a change in the law about 1912, this was the only way to copyright a movie. Although the Library now has machines that can pull beautiful prints from the paper collection, initial efforts in the 1960s were slow and looked like this.
Unfortunately, the copy I looked at was muddy and low-contrast. I believe it was an early example of pulling copies from the Library of Congress's paper print collection, the books made from frames of a movie printed and bound and offered to the Library. Before a change in the law about 1912, this was the only way to copyright a movie. Although the Library now has machines that can pull beautiful prints from the paper collection, initial efforts in the 1960s were slow and looked like this.
