The world's archives

1–48 of 292 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.

Where these films come from, and who sees what

Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.

Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.

Little OnesFilms for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool.
KidsCartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature.
TweensDocumentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures.
TeensEverything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower.
AdultSexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive Les Dernières Cartouches 1897 · Short The Last Cartridges: An incident of the Franco-Prussian War. It shows the bombardment of a house at Bazeille. It is the animated reproduction of de Neuville's… Internet Archive The Haunted Castle 1896 · Short · 3 min The original French title is Le manoir du diable . IMDb Page Internet Archive La sortie de l'usine Lumière à Lyon 1895 · Feature A man opens the big gates to the Lumière factory. Through the gateway and a smaller doorway beside it, workers are streaming out, turning either left or… Internet Archive Le Château Hantée 1897 · Short 1896 Georges Méliès Le Château Hantée (The Haunted Castle) Le Château Hantée, 1897, 0m44s Star Film Catalogue No. 96 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213033/ A… Internet Archive Combat Naval en Grèce 1897 · Short · 1 min Star Film Catalogue no. 110 Combat Naval en Grèce (Naval Combat in Greece) Director: Georges Méliès Production Co: Star-Film Country: France Release Date:… Internet Archive Évocation Spirite 1899 · Short · 1 min Release Date: 1899 Country: France Written and Directed by Georges Méliès AKA "Summoning the Spirits" AKA "Invoking the Spirits" Évocation Spirite is a simple… Internet Archive Sur les Toits 1897 · Short On the Roof (French: Sur les Toits; Star Film Catalogue no. 100) is a 1897 French short black-and-white silent comedy film, directed by Georges Méliès,… Internet Archive La Pyramide de Triboulet 1899 · Short · 1 min La Pyramide de Triboulet, 1899, 1m04s Star Film Catalogue No. 218 Georges Méliès, a magician by profession, decided to become a director following the… Internet Archive La Mer 1895 · Short "The Sea" Swimming in the Sea (aka Lumiere No. 11) is an approximately 40-second long actuality of four boys and a woman running down a small, makeshift pier… Internet Archive Monkeyshines, No. 1 (1890) 1890 · Feature Monkeyshines is a series of experimental short silent films made to test the original cylinder format of the Kinetoscope, and are believed to be the first… Internet Archive Le Squelette Joyeaux 1897 · Short One of the most famous films from The Lumière Brothers, who are often credited as the Fathers of All Cinema, "Le Squelette Joyeaux" (also known as "The… Internet Archive La Petite Fille et Son Chat 1899 · Short Director: Louis Lumière Writer: Louis Lumière Stars: Madeleine Koehler Country: France Release Date: 1899 (France) Also Known As (AKA) Filming Locations:… Internet Archive Rip Van Winkle 1896 · Short · 4 min Early film starring Joseph Jefferson. Copied at 16 frames per second from eight 35mm prints preserved by the Library of Congress Internet Archive La Pêche Aux Poissons Rouges 1895 · Short "Fishing for Goldfish" A man holds a child of about 10 or 11 months so the child can stand on a table and look down into a large clear goldfish bowl, nearly… Internet Archive L'impressioniste Fin de Siecle 1899 · Short L'impressioniste Fin de Siecle, 1899, 0m57s Star Film Catalogue No. 183 A stage magician props up a female dummy on a table and lets it fall back before… Internet Archive Post no Bills 1896 · Short · 1 min The original French title is Défense d’afficher . IMDb Page Internet Archive The Last Cartridges 1897 · Short · 1 min The original French title is Les Dernières cartouches . IMDb Page Internet Archive Sea Fighting in Greece 1897 · Short · 1 min The original French title is Combat naval en Grèce . IMDb Page Internet Archive Mosquinha (1890) 1890 · Feature Mosquinha is a silent movie that captures the shot of the flight of a fly. It was directed by Étienne-Jules Marey. Watch on RetroFlix.org:… Internet Archive On the Roofs 1897 · Short · 1 min The original French title is Sur les Toits . IMDb Page Internet Archive The Kiss 1896 · Short This is the first ever moving picture image of a kiss. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. There is a longer Edison film of a… Internet Archive Traffic In King's Road, Chelsea (1890) 1890 · Feature Traffic in King's Road, Chelsea is a silent movie directed by William Friese-Greene. Watch on RetroFlix.org: https://retroflix.org/traffic-in-kings-road-chelse… Internet Archive New video colorization developments: The coronation of Queen Wilhelmina (1898) 1898 · Feature The purpose of this film is to show you the latest developments with colorizing historic B&W film footage in conjunction with interesting footage about Dutch… Internet Archive Buffalo Dance 1894 · Short Short early clip from the Edison Manufacturing Co. featuring Native American Sioux Hair Coat, Last Horse, and Parts His Hair dancing. Copied at 18fps from a… Internet Archive Admiral Cigarette 1897 · Short Early advertising film from the Edison Manufacturing Co. Copied at 26fps from a 35mm print preserved by the Library of Congress. Internet Archive Hotel Del Monte 1897 · Film This early sponsored film by Southern Pacific Railroad offers views of tourists at the opulent resort in Monterey, California. Note: Among the other early… Internet Archive Admiral Cigarette 1897 · Film Early advertising film. Various national symbols—an American Indian, John Bull, Uncle Sam—appear in front of an ADMIRAL CIGARETTE sign. A showgirl leaps out… Internet Archive The Coronation of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina at Amsterdam Central Station, in full color! (1898) 1898 · Feature The coronation of Queen Wilhelmina (1898) Library of Congress [Dickson greeting] 1891 · Documentary Experimental film made with the Edison-Dickson-Heise experimental horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film. Library of Congress [Men boxing] 1891 · Documentary Experimental film made with the Edison-Dickson-Heise experimental horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film. Library of Congress [Newark athlete. No. 1] 1891 · Documentary Experimental film made with the Edison-Dickson-Heise experimental horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film. Library of Congress Newark athlete. [No. 2] 1891 · Documentary Experimental film made with the Edison-Dickson-Heise experimental horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film. Film reoriented by… Library of Congress Sandow 1894 · Documentary Strong-man Eugen Sandow stands against a black background with his arms up and hands behind his head. He strikes a variety of poses that demonstrate his upper… Library of Congress [Athlete with wand] 1894 · Documentary One of a series of films using athletes from the local Newark Turnverein as subjects. Library of Congress Band drill 1894 · Documentary "From "Milk White Flag." Marching band with leader at the head"--Maguire & Baucus catalogue. Library of Congress The boxing cats (Prof. Welton's) 1894 · Documentary Professor Welton presents an amusing fight between two trained cats wearing boxing gloves. Library of Congress Bucking broncho 1894 · Documentary "A fine exhibition of horsemanship by Lee Martin, a genuine cowboy. This particular broncho is an unusually wicked one. 40 feet"--Edison films catalog, no. 105. Library of Congress Buffalo dance 1894 · Documentary Three Sioux Indians in full regalia perform a "buffalo dance", while two others use drums to supply a rhythm. The three dancers move around in a circle as… Library of Congress Caicedo (with pole) 1894 · Documentary "King of the slack wire. His daring feats of balancing as he performs his thrilling feats in midair show that he is perfectly at home. 50 feet"--Edison films… Library of Congress Carmencita 1894 · Documentary "Carmencita the Spanish dancer, sways her graceful figure and pirouttes with a whirl of flying skirts"--Edison motion pictures,1890-1900. Library of Congress Glenroy Bros. [No. 2] 1894 · Documentary "The Glenroy Brothers perform a portion of their vaudeville act, The Comic View of Boxing: The Tramp & the Athlete"--Internet movie database. "Farcical… Library of Congress Hadj Cheriff 1894 · Documentary Although the variant title for this film is "Arab knife juggler", and the performer is holding a knife in each hand, he appears to discard the knives just… Library of Congress Imperial Japanese dance 1894 · Documentary "A charming representation of The Mikado dance by three beautiful Japanese ladies in full costume. Very effective when colored. 45 feet"--Edison films catalog. Library of Congress Leonard-Cushing fight 1894 · Documentary "An actual six-round contest between Mike Leonard, commonly called the "Beau Brummel" of pugilism, and Jack Cushing. Full of hard fighting, clever hits,… Library of Congress Luis Martinetti 1894 · Documentary "Gymnast and contortionist, performing on flying rings"--Raff & Gammon price list. Library of Congress [Lakota Grass Dance] 1894 · Documentary Eleven dancers, including two boys (Johnny Burke No Neck, Seven Up) stand with their feet still, but their bodies swaying slightly. In the upper left corner,… Library of Congress Annie Oakley 1895 · Documentary Annie Oakley, the "Little Sure Shot" of the "Wild West," in an exhibition of rifle shooting. Library of Congress Princess Ali 1895 · Documentary Princess Ali, of Barnum and Bailey's Circus, is filmed performing an Egyptian dance. As she dances, some musicians perform in the background to provide…