Le Vitagraph (Polar Star Hall, 10-11 mai 1897)

À l'occasion d'une soirée donnée au Polar Star Hall, James Stuart Blackton et Albert E. Smith offrent leur spectacle accompagné d'un vitagrah  :

FAIR HAVEN HAPPENINGS
MASONIC TWO DAYS CONVENTION CLOSED YESTERDAY.
[...]
The two day's convention of the higher bodies of masonry at Masonic hall closed yesterday noon.
[...]
Under the auspices of the Boys' brigade of the East Pearl street M. E. church, an entertainment will be given in Polar Star hall to-morrow evening. There will be an exhibition of the Edison vitagraph. J. Stewart Blackton, the well known cartoonist and humorist, and Albert E. Smith, the impersonator and shadowgraphist, will also entertain the audience. It will be a first class entertainment and worthy of patronage. The admission is twenty-five cents. The program of the vitagraph entertainment is as follows:
Niagara Falls-From Luna Island.
Cavalry Charge of Cadets at West Point.
Shooting the Chutes at Coney Island.
The Mischevous Boy and the Garden Hose.
A Storm on Atlantic Coast at Long Branch, showing the wild dashing of the surf.
The Black Diamond Express running at a speed of sixty miles an hour.
Station Scene. Arrival of the local express at Elizabeth, N. J. The usual bustle on platform.
The Inaugural Parade at Washington showing McKinley and Cleveland in carriage.
The Morning Bath; a very funny scene, in which a coal black pickaninny is washed by his "Mammy."
Fire Scene. A burning stable.

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The Morning Journal Courier, New Haven, mercredi 12 mai 1897, p. 7.

Le Vitascope (Grand Opera House, 28 mai-6 juin 1896)

Le Vitascope, sous la responsabilité de Thomas Armat, va projeter des vues animées au Grand Opera House à la fin du mois de mai :

GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
Mystery prevails around the Grand opera house, and Manager Bunnell and his executive staff are busy as bees. Strange men, with rolls of wire, stepladders and various tools of trade, are going in and out, and the only explanation given is, "We're going to have vitascope here on Thursday night." "What is the vitascope?" "Well, it's something Edison has just got up. It settles actors and dancers like the trolley has settled car horses. When you have the vitascope you don't need actors. Some one turns on the electric current, and it does the rest. You sit down and see whole scenes from plays; you see Cissy Fitzgerald dance just as naturally as though she were before you. The vitascopes in Boston and in New York are making her do the same. Pretty soon Cissy Fitzgerald will be dancing all over the country at the same time. Just now she is only dancing in three places, because Edison has only been able so far to build three vitascopes.
The one that comes here will be put up and started going by Edison's own superintendent from the wizard's laboratory at Menlo Park, Mr. Armat. It will show you how May Irwin and John Rice kiss. It will also show you a building burning down right before your eyes, and a man getting shaved in a barber shop."
On Thursday evening, also, Santanelli. the wonderful hypnotist, who so lately startled New York, will exhibit some of the peculiar phenomena of hypnotism.

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The Morning Journal-Courier, mardi 26 mai 1896, p. 5.

Les séances se prolongent en juin :

Entertainments.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
The matinee at the Grand opera house was crowded yesterday, a large portion of the audience being ladies, and in the evening the house was packed as usual. There will be a matinee to-day and the concluding performance will be given in the evening, when the great event that has been looked forward to all the week will occur. Santanelli will wake Martin Klinker, the sleeper who has been slumbering peacefully since 10 p.m. Monday night without food, rink or bowel action. The demand for eats to witness the awakening has been large, and it would be well for those who propose attending to secure heir seats in advance. The box office will be open from 9 a. m. to-day.
The vitascope has astounded all who have seen it, and is the latest product of the fertile brain of the wizard of Menlo Park, Edison. The following pictures are shown: Hightland Fling from Rob Roy; Herald Square, New York. Umbrella Dance by the Leigh sisters. Train on L Road, New York; Cissy Fitzgerald and her wink, and the May Irwin kiss from the Widow Jones, which is the one most fancied by all.
The excellent ventilation and the electric fans did much to make the house cool last night.

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The Morning Journal-Courier, New Haven, samedi 6 juin 1896, p. 7.

Le Biograph (Poli's Wonderland, 29 novembre->3 décembre 1896)

Le Biograph va reprendre ses projections, après une panne, à la fin du mois de novembre :

THE BIOGRAPH MENDED.
To Go On Exhibition Again Next Monday.
The biograph, which was temporarily disabled so that its engagement at Poli's Wonderland theater had to be postponed, has been repaired, and is now in perfect working order for the display of motion pictures. The machine will be placed on exhibition at the Wonderland next Monday, and will be the feature of next week's bill.
Experts from the American Mutoscope company's laboratory worked on the machine all day yesterday. It was found after most careful search that one of the main springs had been broken, throwing the whole apparatus out of gear, so that it could not be worked. The break was mended, and a rehearsal was had last evening, which showed the machine again to be in perfect working order. It will not be placed on exhibition, however, before next Monday, as Mr. Poli has already secured two star features to replace it this week.
A private exhibition of the biograph will be given on Sunday for the benefit of members of the press, so that the public may be assured that the machine is all that has been said of it.

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The Morning Journal-Courier, New Haven, jeudi 26 novembre 1896, p. 3.

Un séance privée est organisée le dimanche 29 novembre :

A PRIVATE EXHIBITION.
Given by Manager Poli of the Biograph —It is a Wonder.
Casler’s biograph, a marvelous piece of mechanism, producing upon canvas realistic photographs, will be exhibited to the public for the first time in this city at Poll’s Wonderland theater this afternoon. The disarrangement which temporarily delayed the delight which all will feel when they have seen the exhibition, has been completely overcome and the instrument is in complete working order. Those who saw the cinematograph and wondered at the effect have in store for them an equally marvelous performance. The pictures are much larger than those thrown upon the canvass by the cinematograph. In order that there should be no delay attending the exhibition this afternoon a rehearsal was arranged by Manager Poli last evening. The exhibition was given in the presence of representatives of the local press, and a few personal friends of Mr. Poli. It was a complete success.
There are twelve views shown—all American. The first scene, "A Stable On Fire,” is perfect. The smoke, the attendants taking out the animals, and the carriages all produce a scene of realism to the spectators. But little stretch of imagination is needed for one to be sure that he has a veritable barn on fire before him. “The Upper Rapids of Niagara,” “Joe Jefferson Toasting Hendrick Hudson in Rip Van Winkle,” and the two fire alarm scenes are superb in their arrangement. “President-elect McKinley at home talking with his secretary,” shows the wonderful reproductive powers of the biograph. “The Empire State express,” the last picture thrown on the canvass, is a fitting climax.

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New Haven Morning Journal and Courier, New Haven, lundi 30 novembre 1896, p. 7.

Les séances ont toujours lieu au début du mois de décembre :

Poll’s Wonderland Theater.
The biograph is immensely popular. Its manifest superiority to all other machines for the display of moving pictures is apparent. When one sees the Empire State express rushing along sixty miles an hour, or Niagara Falls plunging and waving, it is realized that this is the very perfection of intense realism. Other views that are also strikingly real show Joe Jefferson pronouncing his ‘famous toast in Rip Van Winkle, President-elect McKinley on his lawn at Canton, the New York fire department in action, and a pickanniny’s bath. A very fine specialty show is also given, those who contribute being Miss Jessie Miller, Dixon, Bowers and Dixon, Mr. Nelson and Miss Milledge, little Alma Christie, the four Follette sisters, Gilbert Sarony, Mr. Payne and Miss Crapo, and Delavoye and Frits. Next week the biograph again with views of New Haven scenes.

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New Haven Morning Journal and Courier, New Haven, jeudi 3 décembre 1896, p. 3