Re-membering the past: historical film and the embodied viewer

Abstract

In 1895 the Edison short, THE EXECUTION OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS (USA 1895) staged a fully “fleshed out” historical beheading on film. By putting members and flesh onto otherwise mental images of historical figures, the film showcased the new medium’s ability to combine the distinct elements of visualizing history and appealing to the human body.