Wallace Kelly Goes to New York (1929) – Wallace Kelly

This reel from 1930 is possibly the first film shot by Wallace Kelly (1910-1988) and documents his train trip from Kentucky to Cincinnati to New York City, with scenes of Times Square at night, the Statute of Liberty, elevated trains and city streets, and a family outing with Percy Johnson, the president of Chemical Bank.

Kelly, a newspaperman from Lebanon, Kentucky, was also an accomplished photographer, painter, and writer. He began shooting film in 1929 and continued until the 1950s. His film “Our Day” was named to the National Film Registry in 2007.

This reel was preserved by the Center for Home Movies with funds from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

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