▁months ▁in ▁the ▁Winter ▁Garden , ▁which ▁had ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 0 - se at ▁capacity . ▁ ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁ven ue ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁make ▁motion ▁pictures ▁a ▁standard ▁part ▁of ▁programming ▁until ▁it ▁closed . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁film ▁pione er ▁Ed win ▁S . ▁Por ter , ▁an ▁electric ian ▁by ▁training , ▁assist ed ▁in ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁a ▁custom ▁film ▁project or , ▁to ▁replace ▁one ▁destroyed ▁by ▁fire . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁he ▁returned ▁with ▁a ▁job ▁programming ▁short ▁films ▁for ▁exhibition , ▁after ▁the ▁E den ▁Muse e ▁became ▁Thomas ▁Ed ison ' s ▁first ▁motion ▁picture ▁license e . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁the ▁E den ▁Muse e ▁released ▁its ▁first ▁self - produ ced ▁film , ▁The ▁Pass ion ▁Play ▁of ▁Ober ammer g au . ▁This ▁was ▁bil led ▁as ▁film ▁actually ▁shot ▁in ▁Ober ammer g au , ▁Germany , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁actually ▁shot ▁on ▁the ▁roof ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁Grand ▁Central ▁Palace ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁a ▁fact ▁that ▁was ▁quickly ▁un cover ed ▁by ▁the ▁press . ▁The ▁presentation ▁included ▁ 1 9 ▁minutes ▁of ▁film ▁inter sp ers ed ▁with ▁lan tern ▁sl ides . ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁E den ▁Muse e ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁and ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁the ▁name ▁and ▁select ▁w ax ▁figure ▁group ings ,