09 June 2008

Mary loses her head

A short re-enactment of the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, after she was convicted of treason in 1587. This clip was filmed by the Edison Laboratory on 28 August 1895. Most accounts state that two strikes of the executioner's axe were required to sever Mary's head, not one.

1 comment:

Steve Withers said...

It's interesting to note celebrity, violence and gore were features of even the most early cinematic efforts. Was the next movie Edison made about Mary's drunken, drug-crazed cellulite nightmare prior to her death?