{"id":312061,"date":"2026-10-22T17:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T17:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312061\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T17:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T17:42:11","slug":"philly-hosted-the-first-motion-picture-public-showing-in-1870","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312061\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly hosted the first motion picture public showing in 1870"},"content":{"rendered":"

\ud83d\udc8c Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This Saturday, the Historic District\u2019s \u201c52 Weeks of Firsts\u201d<\/a> celebrates the first public showing of a motion picture 156 years ago, an activity that today has become so ubiquitous in our daily lives and habits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To quote Nicole Kidman\u2019s memorable AMC<\/a> ad, we come to the movie theaters for the magic of \u201cdazzling images, on a huge silver screen,\u201d taking us \u201csomewhere we\u2019ve never been before; not just entertained, but somehow reborn. Together.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the world\u2019s cinephiles have inventor Henry Renno Heyl and Philly<\/a> to thank for that.<\/p>\n

Heyl displayed one of the first demonstrations of a projected moving picture to an audience of around 1,500 at the Academy of Music on Feb. 5, 1870.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c(Heyl) was looking at pictures and he\u2019s like, \u2018It would be great if they could move.\u2019\u201d said Andrew Greenblatt, CEO of the Philadelphia Film Society. \u201cSo he looked at the children\u2019s toy, the zoetrope, and he designed his own model for pictures called the phasmatrope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Henry Heyl\u2019s phasmatrope was one of the earliest devices to project moving images. (Philadelphia Inquirer\/Newspapers.com)<\/p>\n

The phasmatrope was a geared disc loaded with sequential glass slides with images on them. When spun by a hand crank in front of a lantern projector, it cast a moving image onto a screen.<\/p>\n

Heyl made three sequences of glass discs to show sequences that lasted only a couple seconds and paired their playing with a live orchestra and a voice actor. One showed a Japanese acrobat, another showed a character named Brother Jonathan and the third showed Heyl dancing with a relative.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Henry Heyl showed off his phasmatrope with a \u201cmovie\u201d of him dancing with a relative. (Philadelphia Inquirer\/Newspapers.com)<\/p>\n

The crowd was reportedly wowed and he was hailed by the newspapers of the time as the \u201coriginator of motion pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the length of the films though, Heyl\u2019s interest in the project was fleeting. After just one encore presentation at the Franklin Institute the following March, he moved on to other inventions, never patenting the phasmatrope.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe liked finding problems, finding things he was interested in, coming up with a solution, and then moving on,\u201d Greenblatt said.<\/p>\n

Heyl did go on to create another ubiquitous item in our modern lives, albeit not one that Kidman will be waxing lyrically about: the first modern stapler<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A machine patented by Henry Heyl for the Novelty Paper Box Company. (Rothschild Patent Model Collection, Hagley Museum & Library)<\/p>\n

The free Firstival will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Philadelphia Film Society (1412 Chestnut St.). It coincides with the 35th annual Philadelphia Film Festival<\/a>, which runs until Sunday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Along with family-friendly entertainment for the \u2018Firsties\u2019 who have followed this year\u2019s festivities<\/a>, the event features a Historic Philly Once Upon a Nation<\/a> storyteller recounting Heyl\u2019s achievement.There will also be the week\u2019s No. 1 statue<\/a> on display, painted by local artist Ava Haitz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"No. 1 statue for the first public showing of a motion picture, painted by artist Ava Haitz. (Colibr\u00ed Workshop\/Courtesy of Philadelphia Historic District)\"\"No. 1 statue for the first public showing of a motion picture, painted by artist Ava Haitz. (Colibr\u00ed Workshop\/Courtesy of Philadelphia Historic District)\"\"No. 1 statue for the first public showing of a motion picture, painted by artist Ava Haitz. (Colibr\u00ed Workshop\/Courtesy of Philadelphia Historic District)\"\"No. 1 statue for the first public showing of a motion picture, painted by artist Ava Haitz. (Colibr\u00ed Workshop\/Courtesy of Philadelphia Historic District)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the full list of this year\u2019s Firstivals \u2013 including the upcoming dates and locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Completed<\/p>\n

Week 1: \u00a0Successful balloon flight in America (1793)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation\u2019s first folk parade (1901)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America<\/a> (1984)<\/p>\n

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America<\/a> (1688)<\/p>\n

Week 10: Flower Show<\/a> (1829)<\/p>\n

Week 11: Women\u2019s medical college<\/a> (1850)<\/p>\n

Week 12: Matchbook<\/a> (1892)<\/p>\n

Week 13: Medical school<\/a> (1765)<\/p>\n

Week 14: Stadium<\/a> (1895)<\/p>\n

Week 15: Circus performance<\/a> (1793)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 16: Botanical garden<\/a> (1728)<\/p>\n

Week 17: Postmaster<\/a> (1737)<\/p>\n

Week 18: American-made piano and sousaphone<\/a> (1775 and 1893)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 19: Mother\u2019s Day<\/a> (1908)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 20: Hospital in America<\/a> (1751)<\/p>\n

Week 21: World\u2019s Fair on American soil<\/a> (1876)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 22: Steamboat for passengers and freight<\/a> (1787)<\/p>\n

Week 23: American flag<\/a> (1777)<\/p>\n

Week 24: U.S. Army<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 25: Annual Reminder demonstration<\/a> (1965)
Week 26: Paper maker in America<\/a> (1690)<\/p>\n

Week 27: Bank of the United States<\/a> (1791)
Week 28: Organized baseball team<\/a> (1831)<\/p>\n

Week 29: Ice cream soda<\/a> (Oct. 1874)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 30: American art school<\/a> (1805)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc8c Love Philly? Sign up for the free Billy Penn daily newsletter and stay in the know<\/p>\n

Week 31: Scientific Society of Natural History<\/a> (1812)<\/p>\n

Week 31: Zoo in America<\/a> (1874)<\/p>\n

Week 32: U.S. Mint<\/a> (1793)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 33: Selfie<\/a> (1839)<\/p>\n

Week 34: Slinky<\/a> (1943)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 35: Signing of the Constitution<\/a> (1787)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 36: Continental Congress<\/a> (1774)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 37: Naming of the United States<\/a> (1776)<\/p>\n

Week 38: Ronald McDonald House<\/a> (1974)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 39: Penitentiary in America<\/a> (1829)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Week 40: First peoples\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 50: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)<\/a><\/p>\n

Upcoming<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Children\u2019s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd70 Nice to see you. \ud83e\udd70
(Instead of a paywall)<\/p>\n

Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today!<\/p>\n

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