Pan-American Exposition by Night

film by Porter

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July 23, 2026

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The film "Pan-American Exposition by Night" was made by Edwin S. Porter in 1901. Porter was a pioneer in American filmmaking, known for his innovative use of editing. This particular film used time-lapse photography to create a panoramic view of the exposition's nighttime illumination. The Pan-American Exposition itself was a large fair held in Buffalo, New York, in 1901, celebrating technological advancements, particularly electricity. Porter's film captured the spectacle of the exposition after dark, showcasing its electrical wonders.1234

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History of film
Méliès and Porter
Porter also filmed the extraordinary Pan-American Exposition by Night (1901), which used time-lapse photography to produce a circular panorama of the exposition’s electrical illumination, and the 10-scene Jack and the Beanstalk (1902), a narrative that simulates the sequencing of lantern slides to achieve a logical, if elliptical, spatial continuity.
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Porter also filmed the extraordinary Pan-American Exposition by Night (1901), which used time-lapse photography to produce a circular panorama of the exposition’s electrical illumination, and the 10-scene Jack and the Beanstalk (1902), a narrative that simulates the sequencing of lantern slides to achieve a logical, if elliptical, spatial continuity.
Read More