120-year-old movies are an interesting look at life at the turn of the 19th century

Michael Zahs (Courtesy of Kalona News)

Iowa collector and film historian Michael Zahs is working with the University of Iowa's Special Collections Department to preserve movie dating as far back as 1895 that were shown at opera houses, Chautauqua tent shows and town celebrations in Iowa and throughout the Midwest.

The films document everything from scenes of the Battle of Manila and Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders to scenes in Jerusalem streets with beggars and peddlers, even several films by French film pioneer Georges Melies.  Zahs came into possession of the films from the estate of Iowa world travelers Frank and Indiana Brinton, who toured around the area, showing the films.

Zahs visited Decorah Sunday night in a film showing sponsored by the Oneota Film Festival.  He tells decorahnews.com the movies created a sensation when they were first shown.  "This was science fiction (to the audiences)," ne notes, since they had never before seen movies.

Zahs says it's hard for us to comprehend this reaction in our age of instant communication.  "We are so used to everything...nothing's a big deal to us."

But for the audiences of the late 1890s, these movies showed them the world at a time when audiences were amazed the Britons had traveled to Nebraska.

While the world has changed a lot since then, Zahs says films still can bring the world to people.  He says that's what the Oneota Film Festival does, by bringing documentaries from around the world to Decorah.  "I hope people realize what they have here," he tells decorahnews.com.

Zahs' film showing was part of an Oneota Film Festival membership drive and a precursor to the full festival, which will take place February 28th through March 2nd of 2014.