[Detail] President McKinley and escort going to the Capitol / Thomas A. Edison, Inc, 1901. 
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Collection Overview
The 28 films in Last Days of a President: Films of McKinley, 1901, include footage of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York; of President William McKinley at his second inauguration, at the Exposition (where he was assassinated), and of McKinley's funeral. The films were produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company which was founded by inventor Thomas Alva Edison.
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Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
- America at the turn of the Century: A Look at Historical Context
- President McKinley and the Pan-American Exposition of 1901: A Tragic Encounter
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1876-1915
- Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- African American Perspectives, 1818-1907
- American Life Histories, 1936-1940
- Inventing Entertainment: The Edison Companies
- Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present
- Taking the Long View, 1851-1991
- Touring Turn-of-the-Century America, 1880-1920
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection
All of the films in the collection have a bibliographic record. Along with other information, each bibliographic record includes a comprehensive summary prepared by the Edison Company describing the footage in the film. You may want to review these summaries before accessing a film, since the large file sizes may cause a lengthy download time.
You can search by keyword, or you can browse the Subject Index or a List of Film Titles
For help with search words, use the Synonym List.
For help with search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.
Last Updated: 06/12/2009