Sarah Whitley (née Robinson, 1816 – 24 October 1888) is credited as the earliest-born woman known to have appeared in a film. She was the mother-in-law of cinematic pioneer Louis Le Prince and was filmed by him 10 days before her death, aged 72.[1]
Sarah Whitley | |
|---|---|
 Whitley (second left) in Roundhay Garden Scene, directed by Louis Le Prince | |
| Born | Sarah Robinson 1816 Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Died | 24 October 1888 (aged 71–72) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Resting place | St John's Church, Roundhay |
| Spouse | |
| Children | John Robinson Whitley (1843–1922) Sarah Elizabeth LePrice, neé Whitley (1846–1925) Joseph (?–?) |
In the 1888 film, Roundhay Garden Scene, Whitley is seen walking or dancing backwards.[2]
She and her husband Joseph, who also appears in the film, were the parents of Le Prince's wife, Elizabeth. The film was shot in their garden at Oakwood Grange, Roundhay, Leeds, on 14 October 1888.[3]
She is the earliest-born woman known to have appeared in a film. The earliest-born man was Pope Leo XIII (1810–1903). He was filmed in 1896. She was also the first known person who had appeared in a film to die.
Death
editWhitley's death on 24 October 1888, is commemorated by a gravestone in the churchyard of St John's Church, Roundhay.[4]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 | Roundhay Garden Scene | Self | Short |
| 2015 | The First Film | Posthumous release (archive footage) |
References
edit- ^ Hale, Tom (20 August 2020). "The World's Oldest Film Has Been Revamped By Artificial Intelligence". IFLScience. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Macdonald, Ian (4 August 2015). "Louis le Prince shot the first film – but did he invent movies?". The Conversation. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Tucker, Thomas Deane (10 December 2019). The Peripatetic Frame: Images of Walking in Film. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474409292. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Gravestone of Joseph and Sarah Whitley (1460284)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
External links
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