Public Domain
Panorama of Machine Co. Aisle
1904 · Biograph Company · Dir. Billy Bitzer
A camera on an overhead crane travels down a large, long aisle where men are shown working on large machinery on either side. Carts carrying equipment are shown traveling on rails down the aisles. There are also men walking in the aisles. From Bitzer's Westinghouse Works series.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Panorama of Machine Co. Aisle' was produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company and photographed by Billy Bitzer in 1904. It depicts the interior of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a work first published/released in the United States prior to January 1, 1928, its copyright has expired by law under the terms of the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.
Furthermore, this specific film is part of the Westinghouse Works Collection preserved by the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress explicitly notes that the collection was filmed in 1904 and is now in the public domain. It was originally registered for copyright as a 'paper print' (registration H45674 on May 19, 1904), which was the common method for protecting motion pictures before the 1912 Townsend Amendment. This 28-year registration would have required renewal in 1932, but regardless of renewal status, all works from 1904 have aged into the public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress: Westinghouse Works Collection (https://www.loc.gov/collections/westinghouse-works-in-1904/about-this-collection/)
- IMDb: Panorama of Machine Co. Aisle (1904)
- National Film Preservation Foundation
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.