Alfred C. Abadie facts for kids

Alfred Camille Abadie (born December 9, 1878, died January 1, 1950) was an American photographer and a very early filmmaker. He worked for the famous inventor Thomas Edison. Abadie was known for making "actuality films." These were like the first documentaries, showing real-life events.

One of his important films, Emigrants Landing at Ellis Island, was chosen in 2019 to be kept safe in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. This film was special because it was the first to show a ferryboat arriving at Ellis Island with many people getting off. It was considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

A Pioneer Filmmaker

Alfred Abadie grew up in New York City. He started working as a camera assistant for James H. White at the Edison Studio around 1898. In 1903, Thomas Edison sent Abadie on an exciting trip. He traveled to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa to make more actuality films. This was possibly to keep up with similar films being made by the Lumière brothers.

Abadie came back to the United States and continued making these real-life films for Thomas Edison until at least 1904. After leaving Edison's company, Abadie kept working as a freelance filmmaker and photographer. He created films for schools and industries. One of his notable works was Birth (1917), which is known as the first film ever to show the birth of a baby.

Alfred Abadie also worked on some other famous films. He was an actor in The Great Train Robbery (1903), a very important early Western movie. He also acted in What Happened on Twenty-third Street, New York City (1901).

See also

• Actuality films