President McKinley Inauguration Footage is the name given to two different short documentary films which were combined as one. The two titles are President McKinley Taking the Oath and President McKinley and Escort Going to the Capitol. The two show President William McKinley arriving at the United States Capitol in order to take the oath of office for President of the United States as part of his second inauguration on March 4, 1901. Both were produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, under the direction of Thomas Edison , and in 2000 the United States Library of Congress deemed the two "culturally significant" and selected them for preservation in the National Film Registry. Production Edison's crew shot the films on location on March 4, 1901 and released their footage less than two weeks later. The notes stated they had a camera and were "within twenty feet of the President's carriage when it passed," giving the general public an unprecedentedly intimate view of a United States President. The crew captured their images on several campers placed on rudimentary tripods that made it difficult to pan or tilt while filming. Release Press accounts described the film receiving "great applause" and causing "pandemonium" during its screenings. See also Inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth, another early film (released January 1901) showing a national leader being sworn in. References External links President McKinley Inauguration essay by Charles "Buckey" Grimm at National Film Registry President McKinley Taking the Oath, Library of Congress President McKinley and Escort Going to the Capitol, Library of Congress 1901 films United States National Film Registry films Black-and-white documentary films American silent short films McKinley Inauguration Footage American documentary films Documentary films about American politicians Thomas Edison 1900s documentary films Presidency of William McKinley Films shot in Washington, D.C. American black-and-white films 1900s American films