Footage Shows Earliest-Born Person Ever Captured on Film

Last week, we wrote about the person who might be the earliest-born individual to have their photo taken, and now we’ve come across the woman who might be the earliest-born person ever caught on film.

While some believe the distinction belongs to Rebecca Clark, who was born in 1804 and filmed in 1912, it’s possible someone else, born in the 1700s, earned the title first.

In 1905, Yanaki and Milton Manaki—pioneers in the world of photography and film—bought a Bioscope camera in London and brought it back home to what is now Greece. There, they filmed a silent, 60-second black and white segment—the first ever motion picture in the Balkans—and captured their 114-year-old grandmother weaving.

There’s no way to verify Despina Manaki’s birth year (it would be 1791) beyond the testimony of the Manakis, but the 13-year lead on Clark makes it pretty likely that even if the date isn’t precise, she’s probably got a secure grasp on the landmark moment in history.

[h/t Kottke]