Free-for-all race at Charter Oak Park /

"Shows a part of the enormous crowd and the start and finish of the free-for-all pacing race, in which the fastest harness horse in the world, John R. Gentry (2:00-1/2), the coming Star Pointer and Frank Agan competed for a purse of $6,000. The heat we photographed was won by Star Pointer in the fast time of 2:04-3/4"--Maguire & Baucus catalogue.
"Great horse racing on the famous Hartford track, showing start and finish of a 2.04-3/4 heat run by the fastest harness horse in the world, John R. Gentry. 50 feet"--Edison films catalog.
43418 U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 31July1897; 43418.
Camera, William Heise.
Duration: 0:26 at 30 fps.
According to the article, "And They're Off!: Harness Racing at Charter Oak Park", on the Connecticut history WWW site, this is the first harness race ever filmed.
Paper print shelf number (LC 0882) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
Filmed July 5, 1897, at Charter Oak Park race track, Hartford, Connecticut.
Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Musser, C. Edison motion pictures 1890-1900, p. 314; Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 112; Edison films catalog, no. 94, March 1900, p. 30 [MI]; Maguire & Baucus. Fall catalogue, 1897, p. 9 [MI]; Connecticut history WWW site, viewed October 14, 2014.
Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.