Curators at Library of Congress discover lost film by legendary cinema pioneer after spotting ‘subtle clue’

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What began as a routine day for Library of Congress librarians turned into amajor findwhen they discovered a lost 1897 film featuring one of cinema’s earliest robots.

The film, called “Gugusse and the Automaton,” was made by legendary French filmmaker Georges Méliès in 1897.

Méliès was a pioneer of special effects and directed the famous 1902 film “A Trip to the Moon.”

The newly discovered film shows a magician battling a mischievous automaton in a brief slapstick sequence.

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The Library of Congress described the film as “the first appearance of what might be called a robot.”

It was uncovered by librarians who had been examining a collection of deteriorating film reels.Theyidentified the filmin September, though officials kept the discovery under wraps until late February.

A lost 1897 film by Georges Méliès (seen at right) resurfaced at the Library of Congress after it sat unseen for more than a century.(Shawn Miller/Library of Congress;Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

“It had not been seen by anyone in likely more than a century,” the release said.

The curators didn’t immediately know what they were looking at, said Jason Evans Groth, a curator of the Moving Image Section at theLibrary of CongressNational Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia.

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�subtle clue” in a frame that made them wonderif it was a Méliès film.

“After looking closely at the film on their inspection table, they saw a star painted on one of the props,” he said.

Split image of Melies film frame, entire reel

Librarians recently identified “Gugusse and the Automaton,” an early Méliès short featuring what may be cinema’s first robot.(Shawn Miller/Library of Congress)

“Knowing that Méliès’ film production company was called Star Film, and that he often used that iconography in his movies, they contacted a colleague who is a Méliès expert with a photo of the frame,” Groth said.

The colleague responded, “Congratulations!You’ve discovereda lost Méliès!”

Groth added, “They also identified the title for us — which cinema and Méliès historians knew had existed, but which had been lost for decades.”

Split image of female curator looking at film, screenshot of Melies film

The Library of Congress identified the fragile reel while reviewing deteriorating films from a private collection.(Shawn Miller/Library of Congress)

“We don’t know exactly how [McFarland’s great-grandfather] William DeLyle Frisbee got this one, or if it was one of his favorites, but having a French magic trick film to show to folks in Pennsylvania — especiallyone with a robot!— must have been something to see,” he said.

For those unfamiliar with Méliès’ work, Groth said his influence spans from the earliest days of filmmaking to the 2011 Martin Scorsese film “Hugo,” in which he is portrayed as a character.

early science fictionand illusion,” said Groth.

The Library of Congress described the film as “the first appearance of what might be called a robot.”(Library of Congress)

“He created new worlds and mystified audiences, leaning on narrative storytelling to capture the audience’s minds and imaginations rather than just showing them the world on screen.”

Groth noted that a “very large percentage” of early silent films have beenlost to history— making the discovery particularly special.

Moon with face from A Trip to the Moon film

Méliès, known for “A Trip to the Moon,” made hundreds of short films that mixed illusion with storytelling.(Bettmann via Getty Images)

“Luckily, more and more presumed lost films are coming to light,” he said.

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“Some are buried in larger collections,” he said.“Some are, like in this case, passed down from generation to generation but are not able to easily be projected and, thus, sit fallow until they get into the right hands.”