Sarah Whitley
Whitley (second left) in Roundhay Garden Scene directed by Louis Le Prince
Born
Sarah Robinson

1816
Wakefield, Yorkshire, England
DiedOctober 24, 1888(1888-10-24) (aged 71–72)
UK
Spouse
​
(m. 1842)​
Children3
Gravestone in Roundhay Churchyard, Leeds, of Sarah Robinson, and her husband, Joseph Whitley

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]

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]

Her appearance in the film, and her death 10 days later, help to substantiate Roundhay Garden Scene as the oldest surviving film in existence.

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.[4]

Death

Whitley's death on 24 October 1888, is commemorated by a gravestone in the churchyard of St John's Church, Roundhay.[5]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1888 Roundhay Garden Scene Self Short
2015 The First Film Posthumous release (archive footage)

References

  1. ↑ Hale, Tom. "The World's Oldest Film Has Been Revamped By Artificial Intelligence". IFLScience. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Macdonald, Ian. "Louis le Prince shot the first film – but did he invent movies?". The Conversation. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Tucker, Thomas Deane (10 December 2019). The Peripatetic Frame: Images of Walking in Film. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474409292. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Roundhay Garden Scene – Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Gravestone of Joseph and Sarah Whitley". Historic England – List entry. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
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