Earliest Birthdate of Person on Film

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Fascinating discussion in Wikipedia:

Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2009 January 19January 19[edit]

    I think the question is referring to the oldest person caught on film after filming became technically available (obviously no 1812 veterans would be alive today). I think that's it, but I could be wrong. Best, PeterSymonds (talk) 07:51, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

        In Roundhay Garden Scene, filmed on October 14, 1888, the featured actress Sarah Robinson Whitley was 72 years old, meaning she was born around 1816. I would suggest there may not be too many people born before her recorded on film. Rockpocket 08:08, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

If the IMDB is to be believed, there is some archive footage of Otto von Bismarck, who was born in 1815. Warofdreams talk 11:59, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
And earlier still - Pope Leo XIII, born 1810, was filmed at the age of 88, in 1898. Apparently he also blessed the camera. Warofdreams talk 12:29, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

- YouTube

With regard to War of 1812 veterans, I can’t find any footage of them alive, but we do have a clip of last surviving veteran Hiram Cronk’s funeral in 1905. 143.167.127.122 (talk) 15:25, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

If you’re counting photographic film, not just video footage, then you can get back further, but I don’t know how far. Steewi (talk) 23:23, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

On the German wikipedia, we had a fascinating discussion about the earliest born person of whom a photograph exists. We managed to go back to a birth date of around 1746. You can find our results at (talk) 11:53, 20 January 2009 (UTC)