Revealing Galveston’s History Through Film From 1900 Storm to 1950s

Unearthing Galveston's Past: The 1900 Storm Through Thomas Edison's Lens

This episode of 'Unboxing History' features Christine Hopkins and Jodi Wright Gidley, who introduce two unique films. One film was captured after the 1900 Storm by Thomas Edison’s crew, and another reel is from the early 1950s. Guest J.R. Shaw, host of Galveston Unscripted, shares insights into Thomas Edison's pioneering work in film, specifically Edison's team's efforts to document the devastation of Galveston Island shortly after the storm. The discussion also covers the technological innovations of the time, the challenges faced by Edison's crew in capturing the footage, and the cultural impact of sharing such imagery with the world. Additionally, the episode mentions another cinematic gem -- a 1950s film showcased at the Martini Movie Theater, providing a nostalgic glimpse of Galveston's community, architecture, and fashion. The episode emphasizes the importance of preserving and exploring historical footage to understand past events' impact on communities and cultural shifts Unboxing History is a podcast presented by the Galveston County Museum. 

Thank you for listening to Unboxing History, presented by the Galveston County Museum.
For more information, visit our website.

History of the Galveston County Museum
The Galveston County Museum was formed in 1976. It was located on Market Street for many years. After Hurricane Ike damaged the HVAC and electrical systems in 2008, the unharmed artifacts were moved. Now, the museum is located in the Galveston County courthouse building at 722 Moody/21st Street in Galveston.

​Galveston County Museum is a joint project of the Galveston County Commissioners Court and Galveston County History, Inc. The museum cares for a collection of 20,000 artifacts and archives. We also maintain the Historical Commission's library. If you are interested in research or donating an artifact related to Galveston County history, please call 409.766.2340.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Unboxing History: Discovering Artifacts in the Galveston County Museum Collection
• 1:01 Exploring Edison's Historical Footage of Galveston
• 2:00 The Journey of Edison's Crew to Galveston Post-1900 Storm
• 3:29 The Impact of Moving Pictures on Historical Perception
• 11:52 From Historical Footage to Modern Podcasting: The Evolution of Galveston Unscripted
• 14:38 A Glimpse into the 1950s Galveston Through Martini Movie Theater Footage
• 17:12 Visiting the Galveston County Museum: Exhibits, Donations, and Tours

Transcript

Unboxing History Episode 4:  Revealing Galveston’s History Through Film

[00:00:00] 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Welcome to Unboxing History. I'm Christine Hopkins, a local author and Galveston expert. 

Jodi Wright-Gidley: And I'm Jodi Wright Gidley, Director of the Galveston County Museum. 

month on Unboxing History, we're going to highlight different treasures that are part of the museum's collection. So Jodi, this month, what's our treasure?

So our treasure Is a reel. So, before you had reels on Instagram, this is what a reel looked like. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: So, we're going to be highlighting some reels this month. Let's talk to our first guest. 

In case you missed it, this is J. R. Shaw, host of Galveston Unscripted, the award winning podcast and audio tour. So we're super excited to have you here today with, , Unboxing History. 

J.R. Shaw: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: So we wanted to have J.

R. on because he just knows so much about Galveston and we have this unique treasure here 
[00:01:00] that Jodi mentioned. So we're going to be talking about Edison's footage. 

J.R. Shaw: Yes. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: So, um, tell us, you know, at that time not a lot of people would have been exposed to something like that. So tell us a little bit about the back story about the footage, how it was used at the time and then we'll connect it into Galveston.

J.R. Shaw: Absolutely. Yeah. So a lot of people don't realize that film was around like actual capturing film on cameras has been around since around 1894 , you know when I think of Before I started doing research on this when I think of capturing film, I think of like the 1920s is usually when that really got started. Um, but yeah, so Edison, of course, American inventor very famous American inventor He had over a thousand patents by the end of his life.

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Wow. 

J.R. Shaw: Film was and film cameras was one of the things that he really pushed and pioneered and, um, got a huge team involved to create a film camera. Uh, in order to sell those films in, uh, like a small [00:02:00] parlor. Um, but yeah, so, during the 1900 Storm, right after, he sent a team down to Galveston to capture some really amazing footage here.

So, 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: so how did they get here? And I mean, how, how could they have gotten all the island? You have to really wonder. 

J.R. Shaw: Yes, right? So of course after the 1900 storm, the bridge, the causeway was pretty much completely wiped out. So there was no real way besides a boat to get here. But, um, so Edison sent his team down from New Jersey, and they took a train, a special train down here.

Down, got to Houston and took the train as far south as they could and then started walking and then had to basically bribe or lie their way onto the island. They were bringing this big, huge box looking thing that they claimed was survey equipment. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Oh, I was wondering, okay, I was wondering. 

J.R. Shaw: Yep, they claimed it was survey equipment and then crossed over, I believe by boat, because that's really the only way you can do it.

And they got here by September 11th, 1900, which is just three days after the [00:03:00] storm, which is pretty quick. So, they started capturing, uh, tons of footage of Galveston Island and the devastation after the 1900 storm. Some of the first footage ever of Texas was taken right here in Galveston. And some of it just a block away from where we are now.

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: That's really crazy. Well, and I, and I was watching, you know, if you haven't seen it, he has a podcast specific where he's showing some footage and kind of explaining it, and then he uses his own camera to mimic where they were shooting the footage, including a spot on Broadway where he had to watch the traffic.

Um, But, so tell us, like, some of the footage that you saw, what, what did it make you feel, because you're from Galveston like I am, I mean, how did it make you feel to see that footage?\ 

J.R. Shaw: It, it's fascinating because I had never really, I'd seen the footage before, but it was years ago and it, I didn't really have a connection to the history and really didn't, really didn't look into it deeper.

But after this past couple years of really diving into the history. And what people were feeling, what they were seeing, what they were smelling after the storm and how horrible it was having to clean up their 
[00:04:00] neighborhoods and the, um, the bodies out of the rubble of the storm. You watch this footage and you see the mainly men cleaning up and working and it truly, truly strikes you as, wow, this wasn't that long ago, . Especially when some of the landmarks. That you see in this footage are still standing and it's like wow that could be me that could be you know It could have been my grandfather. It could have been you know, could have been somebody, you know But yeah. Really really is emotional watching this footage because it makes it way more real than an old photograph an old black and white photograph So 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: because they're moving.

Yes, it's a moving picture. Mm hmm So, and, and then tell us a little bit about what is a moving picture? I mean, we all know now what it is, but at the time, why was it, what, what did he do to make that all happen? 

J.R. Shaw: Yeah. So it's kind of a funny thing. So he started, he built this team to create a camera that could capture footage and photos in succession, rapid succession, and then [00:05:00] display them back.

Um, which was a huge process and he hired a massive team to do that. Um, which took years and years and years starting from the late 1880s to the mid 1890s. Um, and then what he would do is he would go out to different disaster areas like, uh, of course the 1900 storm, the 1899 Filipino American War, uh, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, things like that.

And then he would, um, get that footage, take it back, and sell viewings of that footage inside of a parlor type setting. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: And what was that called? 

J.R. Shaw: A kinetoscope. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: A kinetoscope. Okay. 

J.R. Shaw: So they, they would view the entire, um, maybe like 16 to 20 seconds of footage in a kinetoscope. And they'd pay, you know, a few, you know, a nickel or something to do it.

But thousands and thousands and thousands of people showed up to watch these. Actualities as he called them. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: That's right. 

Yep 

actualities 

J.R. Shaw: I don't remember the exact amount of time in between but it was It's not as [00:06:00] fast as we can capture footage today.

I'll say that You can still see it's it's It's just rapid photos. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: And, there's several buildings that are in the footage that we can still see. I know what comes to mind to me was Bishop's Palace, um, also, let's see, oh, St. Mary's Cathedral. 

J.R. Shaw: Yep, St. Mary's. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Was in there. And, and then there's certain areas of town where the footage is like shot on Tremont Street, which is 23rd street. And so what I know in case someone comes in and they see this footage We want them to understand where they're standing. 

J.R. Shaw: Absolutely.

There's one, uh, one building and one home actually that I discovered is still standing and the owners of the home didn't even realize that their home was Literally on some of the first footage ever captured in Texas. So when I was making my video on this, I of course went over there and told them, Hey, by the way, this house is, is on there and that's on Church Street and 24th.

Right across from where Sugar and Rye is now. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Some of the buildings will say, they'll have a marker on it that says 1900 Storm Survivor. So look for those when you're in Galveston. At the time, though, how many of those cameras existed?

J.R. Shaw: Very few. 
[00:07:00] So, in my research, there were definitely less than five. I've seen, um, in other people's, uh, research and, and where they really dove into, there were around three actual film cameras at that time. So they had one of three cameras in 1900 that could actually be capable of capturing that footage.

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, and again, you said it looked like a box. 

Yes. 

So you, and hold your phone up now. Let's think about 

that. 

J.R. Shaw: I mean, yeah. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Going from a box is amazing. And you know, I think you've also found some letters and some documentation of the things that the crew actually, his assistant shared. Can you share that?

J.R. Shaw: Yeah. 

So all of this, all the, um, their notes that they were taking and the letters they were writing back, those can all be found on the Texas Archive of Moving Image website. As well as the Library of Congress website. So, one of the quotes that I read on the video, uh, that I made a few weeks, er, a few months ago, it's quite fascinating, so I'm going to read it here.

Uh, this is from Albert E. Smith, one of the, uh, Edison's [00:08:00] assistants who really was the main photographer for a lot of these, uh, this film. So, he states, "At the first news of the disaster by cyclone and tidal wave that devastated Galveston on Saturday, September 8, 1900, We equipped a party of photographers and sent them by special train to the scene of the ruins arriving at the scene of desolation.

Shortly after the storm had swept over the city, our party succeeded at the risk of life and limb and taking about a thousand feet of moving pictures. In spite of the fact that Galveston was under martial law and that the photographers were shot down at the site of excited police guards, a very wide range of subject has been secured.

The series, taken as a whole, will give the entire world a definite idea of the terrible disaster unequaled since the Johnstown Flood of 1889." And that was, of course, Albert Smith, uh, Edison's assistant, who wrote that back to Edison and the crew back there. Um, and when he's talking about a thousand feet of moving [00:09:00] pictures, 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Explain that.

J.R. Shaw: That, the, the film that they would actually capture the, uh, video, the film on, I can't say video, but the film on was this long, these long strips of film. And they would usually come, On a reel, and they would usually, uh, come between, you know,

30 to 50 feet. So they would go out and just shoot that film without electricity. They would roll it and capture that film. Um, you know, using the light and everything to actually capture that film on there. 

J.R. Shaw: So a thousand feet, 

Yeah. Thousand feet of moving pictures, which is quite a lot. I mean, um, I think it's close to.

Maybe eight minutes of footage that you can find on today on the Texas Archive of Moving Image and the Library of Congress website. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: And here, you can see, um, of course we have it here as part of the 1900 Storm exhibit. Um, it features that footage as well, and so when you come by you need to spend some time seeing that.

Now, where did they use this footage after they shot it here? Do you know? 

J.R. Shaw: Yeah, so a couple different places. Of course, this footage was captured to be sent back to New Jersey. Where Thomas 
[00:10:00] Edison's headquarters was and then it was going to be duplicated and then sent out to these parlors where you could actually Watch this footage and then it was used.

I think you taught me this just now. Yeah, this is the 1904. 

Yeah World's Fair right

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: World's Fair in St. Louis. 

J.R. Shaw: Yes, I think so. Yeah, 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: so we've read that at the display You've read that at the exhibit. So I mean it's really as interesting and imagine really When you think about the 1900 storm and the devastation, and the lives lost, and the damage, you know, things like that probably created a lot of awareness.

In addition to the traditional newspaper, you know, cause I know that Randolph Hearst did a big fundraiser in New York for the orphanage here. You know, I mean, for people that don't know, what, what else could you share about the 1900 storm that strikes you? 

J.R. Shaw: Um, I mean, what really fascinates me is, is, if that storm would not have happened, and, uh, Houston would not be Houston today. And Galveston would quite possibly be the premier 
[00:11:00] city in Texas, really for the economy here in Texas.

And it blows my mind that it's just completely shifted everything, and even the 1900 history here, 1900's history here, how they were recovering from the storm, and then the building of the seawall and the elevating of the city is unbelievable to think that that was really pushed and funded. By Galveston and Galveston County, not so much the federal government.

So it really blows my mind that they were able to do that. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Like the residents of Galveston helped to rebuild the city. Yes. You know, and you're right. And when you think about that they cranked up these churches and these buildings, and you know, you're walking around the city on planks for years. Yeah, it does say something about the resilience of Galveston.

So, uh, well, thank you so much, JR. 

J.R. Shaw: Thank you for having me. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: I mean, this was fun. And where can people find you? 

J.R. Shaw: You can find Galveston Unscripted on every podcast platform on YouTube. Go to the [00:12:00] website, galvestonunscripted. com. I'm always putting out new, fun, uh, interesting information about Galveston's history.. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, and we met because I was doing a segment for I 45 Now called Experience Galveston, and we did an interview about your running tours, which is what got you all started, got you started with all this.

So, well, since we have you, tell us a little bit about that. 

J.R. Shaw: Perfect. So, So, back in 2019, I started a running tour of Galveston's downtown historic district and the East End and as well as the port area, Pier 21, and uh, it was perfect timing honestly because uh, starting in 2019, the next year, 2020, a lot of people were looking for things to do outside.

Um, so I really, I did these tours for free, uh, for about a year and just promoted them on Instagram and Facebook and people came out and took these tours and I got pretty good at giving the tours. And I started charging for it and it just, it went crazy. So of course, during the pandemic, I would sit at home and wonder what the heck else can I do?

So I started building audio tours 
[00:13:00] for the, the running tour stops. Okay. And that's how the podcast evolved. I had all this audio and I was like, where can I put all this besides the audio guide? So I put it on a podcast feed and that's how Galveston Unscripted got started as a podcast. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: So, we're in April of 2024.

At this point, how many different podcasts do you think you've recorded? 

J.R. Shaw: Oh my god, at least a hundred and seventy. Uh, and that's just audio. Um, I have an entire video series and we're at sixty something, uh, video explorations of the city that aren't, a lot of people don't realize, the videos are not the podcasts.

They're completely separate, so I have a lot, a lot of content out there for anyone interested in Galveston's history, nature, and culture. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, thanks again. Thank you so much for sharing that insight about Thomas Edison's assistant. His name again was, 

J.R. Shaw: uh, Albert Smith, Albert E. Smith. But of course, there was a team that was sent down here, but this is one of the names that I can actually.

Find so there was you know a few guys down here helping Albert Smith did capture this footage 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well on that footage is like you said it's 
[00:14:00] something to take a moment reflect on you know the devastation and then how it did change the shift of what Galveston became But also that that's one of the reasons we became so tourism driven because after that, you know that that was the main reason Absolutely has changed the business focus change.

So thanks again. That's

Jodi Wright-Gidley: Can you imagine what it would have been like with Edison's crew filming after the 1900 storm? 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: I can't imagine. I mean, it must have been so emotional, but then shocking at the same time. Although they've already, they had done other disasters to see that.

and to put their own lives at risk. It really is something. So we're going to fast forward 50 years to a happier time, so tell us about the footage that we're highlighting in addition to this. 

Jodi Wright-Gidley: Yeah, so besides the 1900 storm footage here at the museum, we have another film and it's from the Martini Movie Theater. So it was played at the Martini Movie Theater as sort of a commercial.

It's from the early 1950s. So this film, it was one that we 
[00:15:00] found in our museum's collection when we were moving and we opened the box. And there's a really strong smell that came out and that smell was very acidic like vinegar. And so we had to be careful with that because sometimes that can be a sign that the film is made out of nitrate, which can be explosive.

So we put the film in the refrigerator, cool it down. That was important. And then we contacted the. The Texas Archive of the Moving Image, which is in Austin, they took us on as a project. So we brought the film to Austin in a nice chest, they looked at it, and they could tell it really was not nitrate.

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Thank goodness. 

Jodi Wright-Gidley: So we were all safe. And um, the film was very deteriorated and it could not be digitized, but then we got to looking through our library and we found where it had been digitized previously, and that's what you can see when you come to the museum. So in this film, it has footage from the early 1950s, so you see business that were back then.

You see, uh, schools and churches, people arriving on the train station, coming to Galveston. Fashion is [00:16:00] different back then. The narrator voice is very iconic 1950s. You've got 1950s music playing in the background. It's just really fun to see. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, and I know when we were watching it earlier, Part of it is the Old Ball High School, which is no longer in existence.

It was right across the street from where we are at the County Museum. It was designed by Nicholas Clayton, who's a famous architect, and that's gone. So there's these treasures that are part of that. That are gone, but it's still so fun to see. Galveston in the 1950s, you know, kind of flourishing, marketing itself as a place.

And there were a lot of different businesses here at that time as well. And um, and isn't there a personal story for someone who comes in? 

Jodi Wright-Gidley: Yeah. So we have a gentleman that comes into the museum from time to time. I think he's here, you know, getting his car registered in our building and he comes in and he'll look, watch, sit and watch the movie.

And because he said is the only place that he can see his father. His father has passed away, but his father's on the film. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: I love that. I mean, that's just such a, it's such a [00:17:00] treasure to have that documented and that people can come in and see it and see what we look like. So how long is it? What's the running time on that film?

Jodi Wright-Gidley: About 10 minutes max. And we have a place you can sit and watch. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, in addition to that, there's the 1900 storm exhibit and so many other things. How much time should people allocate when they're visiting the museum? 

Jodi Wright-Gidley: About an hour. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: And um, so if people want to donate to the museum, how would they do that?

Jodi Wright-Gidley: Well, we collect anything to do with Galveston County history. And besides what you see on exhibit, we have storage upstairs and that's where we keep things when they're not on exhibit. If you have something, just give us a call, stop by, we'd be glad to talk to you about it. 

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: Well, and lastly, you know, if people are planning to come visit the museum, where are we located and what are the best times to come?

Jodi Wright-Gidley: So the Galveston County Museum is located inside the courthouse at 722 Moody or 21st Street. We are free on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 4, but if you want a really fun experience you can book a time with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays to play our Padlock Mystery [00:18:00] game or for a private tour.

Christine Ruiz Hopkins: And so thank you for watching Unboxing History and look for Unboxing History on Pod NOW on i45NOW and everywhere else you watch your pod or listen to your podcast and remember to subscribe and come by and see the museum.