Shooting the Chutes

The Edison company seemed to get a lot of mileage out of planting a camera in front of popular haunts of holidaymakers or workers on their day off, and this 1903 film is a typical example. The ride looks quite enjoyable: a boat launched from the top of a raised slope and gathering speed before hitting the water below with a splash. Jump cuts are used so that a boat is seen descending the slide every ten seconds or so. The cuts are quite clean, barely noticeable. Once a number of boats have dived we can just make out a cyclist pedalling down the slope then raising his legs before hitting the water. It's a shame the camera couldn't have got a bit closer for that one...

Racing the Chutes at Dreamland (1903)

Coney Island is the setting for this Edison film, which shows one ride in full effect. A small boat is going to the top of a slope where it then slides down and splashes into some water. There are all sorts of rides like this at every amusement park today so it was interesting watching this footage from over a hundred years ago. I say that because I would have been scared silly to get on this ride. Just watch the way the boat hopes when it hits the water. I understand in 1903 everything was different including how these things were made and I know safety regulations were different. Still, had I seen this ride back in 1903 there's no way I would have gotten on it.