Hubbry Logo
Peter ElfeltPeter ElfeltMain
Open search
Peter Elfelt
Community hub
Peter Elfelt
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Peter Elfelt
Peter Elfelt
Peter Elfelt
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Peter Elfelt (1 January 1866 – 18 February 1931) was a Danish photographer and film director known as the first movie pioneer in Denmark when he began making documentary films in 1897.

Key Information

Biography

[edit]

Peter Elfelt was born Peter Lars Petersen in Denmark on 1 January 1866. (He changed his name to Elfelt when he began making films.)[1] He apprenticed in photography in Hillerød in 1893 with the photographer Carl Rathsack. He also studied with the camera builder Jens Poul Andersen. In 1893, Elfelt opened his own atelier in Copenhagen with his two brothers as his assistants. As his photographic skills became appreciated, his business flourished and by 1901 Elfelt was named "Kongelige Hoffotograf" (Royal Court Photographer).[2]

During a trip to Paris in 1896, Elfelt obtained a set of detailed Cinematographe plans from the French inventor Jules Carpentier. He had a film camera constructed by Jens Poul Andersen. In the beginning of 1897, he shot the first Danish film – a one-minute sequence called Driving with Greenland Dogs (Danish: Kørsel med grønlandske hunde).[3] During the following 15 years, he made short nature films and newsreels about the Danish royal family. Elfelt shot almost 200 short films in all.[4]

Elfelt's Photo Studios at Østergade 23 in Copenhagen

In 1903 Elfelt filmed his only drama. The short film, titled Henrettelsen (Capital Execution), was the first fiction film made in Denmark. Based upon the actual execution of a French woman who murdered her two children, it starred the singer Francesca Nathansen and was filmed in the arcade of the Christiansborg Castle. There is some doubt whether the film was ever shown in public. When Elfelt was asked in 1926 if he had ever filmed a drama, he remembered being reluctant about this film.

For one to think of showing this murder in living pictures – a horrible idea. I was absolutely not taken by it.

— Peter Elfelt, Filmen June 7, 1926[5]

Elfelt also shot the first advertising film. There is a 1904 example that advertises bock beer for the Svendborg Brewery. Elfelt opened the "København Kinoptikon" movie theater in 1901. Although Elfelt was Denmark's first pioneer of filmmaking, he considered film as secondary to his work as a photographer.[6][7][8] Elfelt died on 18 February 1931.[9]

Filmography

[edit]
  • Kørsel med Grønlandske Hunde (1897)
  • Kongelige skal fotograferes (1899)
  • Kejserinde Dagmars Ankomst til Helsingør (1900)
  • Czar Nikolai II's Ankomst til Helsingør (1901)
  • Dronning Alexandras Ankomst til Toldboden (1902)
  • Kejserinde Dagmars Ankomst til Bellevue (1902)
  • Kong Christian IX modtager Storhertug Friedrich-Franz af Mecklenburg Schwerin (1903)
  • Sylfiden (1903)
  • Tarantellen af Napoli (1903)
  • Kongejagt paa Hveen (1903)
  • Prinsesse Marie til Hest (1903)
  • De Kongelige paa Cykler i Fredensborg Slotsgaard (1903)
  • Henrettelsen (1903)
  • Kejser Wilhelms Ankomst til København (1903)
  • Ribe Domkirkes indvielse (1904)
  • Daniel Dalsgaards Kaffeforretning (1904)
  • Zigeunerdans af Troubaduren (1906)
  • Skiløb. Holmenkollen (1906)
  • Kong Haakons Besøg paa "Herluf Trolle" (1906)
  • Orfeus og Eurydike (1906)
  • Livjægerne paa Amager (1906)
  • Kong Frederik VIII's Proklamation (1906)
  • Islands Altings Besøg i København (1906)
  • Kong Frederik VIII's Ankomst til Berlin (1907)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Peter Elfelt

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Peter Elfelt is a Danish photographer and film director known for pioneering cinema in Denmark, becoming the first person in the country to produce moving pictures in 1897 and serving as the primary producer of Danish films during the medium's earliest years. He created Denmark's first film, Kørsel med grønlandske slædehunde (Driving with Greenland Sled Dogs), and directed the nation's first fiction film, Henrettelsen (The Execution), in 1903. Born Lars Peter Petersen on 1 January 1866 in Helsingør, Denmark, Elfelt trained as a photographer, completing his apprenticeship in 1883 and opening his own studio in Copenhagen in 1890. He achieved prominence in his primary profession, receiving the title of Royal Court Photographer in 1901, at which point he changed his name to Peter Elfelt. Inspired by early film screenings in Paris, he acquired plans for a camera and had one constructed locally, leading him to begin filmmaking as a secondary pursuit. Over the next decade and beyond, Elfelt produced approximately 200 short films, primarily actuality and reportage pieces documenting royal events, parades, sporting occasions, charity activities, and everyday Danish life at the turn of the century, along with some advertising and ballet films. These works remain a significant visual historical record of the era, with many preserved today. He also operated early cinemas in Copenhagen, including Kjøbenhavns Kinoptikon starting in 1901. Elfelt died on 18 February 1931 in Copenhagen.

Early life

Birth and family background

Lars Peter Petersen was born on 1 January 1866 in Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark. He was baptised Peter Lars Petersen and grew up in a poor family of modest origins. As the eldest of three brothers, he was part of a humble family background in the provincial Danish town.

Training and early career

Peter Elfelt completed his apprenticeship in photography in 1883, having trained in Hillerød under photographer Carl Rathsack. He further honed his technical skills by studying with camera builder Jens Poul Andersen. In 1890, he opened his own photographic atelier in Copenhagen, where his two brothers worked as assistants. His early specialization in portrait and studio photography brought him quick success and appreciation within the profession. This foundation established his reputation prior to his appointment as Royal Court Photographer in 1901, at which point he changed his surname to Elfelt.

Photography career

Studio establishment and growth

Peter Elfelt opened his photographic studio at Købmagergade 64 in Copenhagen in 1890, initially operating as a small business with only his two brothers serving as assistants. The studio featured elaborate decorations, including palms, velvet curtains, painted backgrounds, and high-quality equipment sourced from leading Danish camera maker Jens Poul Andersen. Despite some initial challenges, the business grew rapidly through a focus on portrait photography, particularly cartes de visite, which proved highly popular and circulated widely with his name and logo attached. Elfelt expanded his offerings to include event photography documenting major national occasions and royal activities, alongside early adoption of stereophotography, which led him to establish the Stereoskop Galleriet in 1892 for selling stereo views of Copenhagen streets, royal palaces, Danish landscapes, and foreign locations. His experimentation with magnesium flash techniques during the 1890s further enhanced his ability to capture dynamic subjects and contributed to the studio's commercial success. By 1900, Elfelt had become one of Copenhagen's most prominent and famous photographers, with a strong reputation built on technical innovation and a large clientele drawn to his portrait and event work. This growth culminated in his appointment as royal court photographer.

Royal Court appointment

In 1901, Peter Elfelt was appointed Kongelige Hoffotograf (Royal Court Photographer), a prestigious title granted by the Danish royal court. This official recognition elevated his status and provided exclusive access to photograph the royal family and court events. The appointment allowed him to document the Danish royal family during their extended gatherings at Fredensborg Palace, known as the Fredensborg days, where King Christian IX presided over reunions of related European royal houses. The title carried significant privileges, including the right to use the royal coat of arms on his materials and a marketing advantage that boosted his studio's prestige among elite clientele. It also facilitated his portrait work with notable figures in Danish society, including politicians and other prominent individuals, contributing to his extensive body of work in portraiture. As Kongelige Hoffotograf, Elfelt established himself as a celebrated court photographer, a role that defined much of his professional reputation. This position reinforced his primary identity as a photographer, while the privileged access it conferred occasionally extended to subjects in his emerging cinematographic efforts.

Photographic archive and contributions

Peter Elfelt's extensive photographic archive was jointly acquired in 1982 by the Royal Danish Library and the Museum of Copenhagen, encompassing his large collection of glass negatives. A major digitization project conducted between 2019 and 2022 made approximately 170,000 of these glass negatives available digitally, covering photographs produced from 1890 to 1970, including those created by Elfelt & Co. after his death. The collection contains a diverse array of photographic types, including portraits in formats such as carte de visite and cabinet cards, images of events, street scenes, architecture, businesses, sports, and special collections featuring stereoscope views and sciopticon slides. These works provide major visual documentation of Danish society, particularly Copenhagen around 1900, offering detailed insights into urban life, cultural practices, and social developments during a transformative period. The digitized archive supports ongoing research and public access through the Royal Danish Library's Digital Collections, preserving Elfelt's contributions as a key resource for historical and cultural studies.

Entry into filmmaking

Inspiration from the Lumière Cinématographe

In 1896, Peter Elfelt attended a screening of the Lumière Cinématographe at the Grand Café in Paris, where he was deeply impressed by the new technology of moving pictures. He attempted to purchase one of the original Cinématographes but was unsuccessful in doing so. Elfelt then befriended Jules Carpentier, the constructor of the first Cinématographes, and observed the mechanism closely enough to obtain detailed plans of the apparatus. He returned to Denmark with these plans, which would enable his subsequent entry into filmmaking.

First camera and inaugural film

Peter Elfelt commissioned engineer Jens Poul Andersen (1844–1935) to construct Denmark's first motion picture camera based on Carpentier plans. Using this camera, Elfelt produced the inaugural Danish film in early 1897. The film, Kørsel med grønlandske slædehunde (Driving with Greenlandic Sled Dogs), is a short actuality depicting a sledge drawn by Greenland dogs in a Copenhagen park. This production marked the start of Danish cinema. From 1897 to 1907, Elfelt produced approximately 100 short films, making him the primary figure in early Danish cinema during this period.

Film career

Production volume and scope

Peter Elfelt was active in filmmaking approximately from 1897 to 1912, though this activity always remained secondary to his primary profession as a photographer. Estimates of his production volume vary, with IMDb recording 170 director credits while other sources describe over 200 short films in total, of which about 77 are preserved. He was the sole producer of Danish films during the first decade of cinema in Denmark, from 1897 to 1907. In 1901, he opened the København Kinoptikon cinema, contributing to the early exhibition infrastructure. His position as royal court photographer facilitated access to notable subjects for his productions.

Types of films and innovations

Peter Elfelt's film output consisted overwhelmingly of non-fiction actualities and reportage shorts that captured real events, public spectacles, and aspects of Danish society. These works documented royal arrivals and funerals, state ceremonies, agricultural shows, parades, military reviews, sports events, nature scenes, street life, and ballet performances, forming an extensive visual record of the era. His position as royal court photographer from 1901 granted him unique access to the Danish royal family, resulting in a strong emphasis on films depicting royal events and court activities. This connection shaped much of his production toward official and ceremonial subjects. Elfelt also pioneered early advertising films in Denmark, producing the country's first known example in 1904 to promote Svendborg Brewery's Bock beer. He followed with additional advertising shorts in 1905 for other businesses. Unlike his dominant non-fiction work, Elfelt directed only one dramatic fiction film, in 1903. This limited foray into narrative cinema distinguished his career from later Danish filmmakers who embraced fiction more extensively.

Notable works

Peter Elfelt's most notable contribution to early cinema is his 1897 film Kørsel med Grønlandske Hunde, widely recognized as the first Danish film ever produced. This short actuality captured a sled being pulled by Greenland dogs, reflecting Elfelt's initial experiments with motion pictures following his introduction to the Lumière Cinématographe. His 1903 production Henrettelsen (Capital Execution) holds the distinction of being Denmark's first fiction film. The work was based on a real-life execution and starred actress Francesca Nathansen, with filming taking place at Christiansborg Castle. Elfelt later expressed deep regret over the project, describing it in 1926 as a "horrible idea" and stating "I was absolutely not taken by it". It remains uncertain whether Henrettelsen was ever publicly shown. Elfelt's other significant works include Kongelige skal fotograferes (1899), Kejserinde Dagmars Ankomst til Helsingør (1900), Prinsesse Marie til Hest (1903), and Zigeunerdans af Troubaduren (1906), each demonstrating his continued focus on documenting royal events and cultural performances in the early years of Danish film. These films highlight his role in establishing cinematic records of Danish royalty and society at the turn of the century.

Later years and death

Shift away from filmmaking

Following the peak of his filmmaking activities, which were concentrated between 1897 and 1910/1912, Peter Elfelt's production of new films tapered off significantly after around 1912. Filmmaking had always remained secondary to his primary career as a photographer, never constituting his main occupation despite his pioneering role in Denmark's early cinema. By the mid-to-late 1910s, only sporadic new titles are documented, with very few productions after 1916 and isolated examples in 1920 and 1928. He produced no major film credits after the 1910s, marking a clear shift away from filmmaking as his focus returned fully to photography. Elfelt continued to serve as Royal Court Photographer—a position he had held since 1901—and operated his established photographic studio in Copenhagen until his death. This sustained commitment to his original profession underscored the secondary status he assigned to film throughout his career.

Death and burial

Peter Elfelt died on 18 February 1931 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the age of 65. He was buried at Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen. His death occurred in the city where he had lived and worked for most of his professional life as a photographer and filmmaker.

Legacy

Recognition as Danish cinema pioneer

Peter Elfelt is recognized as a pioneer of Danish cinema, described as one of the earliest foregoers of the medium in Denmark and the country's first significant filmmaker. Between 1897 and 1907, he alone was responsible for all Danish film production, establishing himself as the sole early producer during the medium's formative years in the country. He created the first Danish film, the short documentary Kørsel med grønlandske slædehunde (Driving with Greenland Sled Dogs), filmed in early 1897. Elfelt also produced Denmark's first fiction film, Henrettelsen (The Execution), in 1903, and the first Danish advertising film in 1904. His position as royal court photographer from 1901 granted him privileged access to the Danish royal family and major state occasions, allowing him to capture and preserve unique footage of early 20th-century Danish life, particularly involving royalty and public events. These contributions have secured his status as the foundational figure in Danish film history.

Preservation and archival importance

A substantial number of Peter Elfelt's films have been preserved by the Danish Film Institute, which holds many of his works in its collection. These surviving films are valued not only for their place in early cinema but also as authentic contemporary documents that capture aspects of Danish life at the turn of the 20th century. The Royal Danish Library preserves Elfelt's vast photographic archive, including 170,000 digitized glass negatives that are free of copyright and publicly accessible in high resolution through the library's Digital Collections. This collection, covering primarily the period from 1890 to 1931 with some later additions, documents urban development, architecture, street scenes, businesses, portraits, and social changes in Copenhagen and Denmark, establishing it as a central resource for understanding early Danish visual history. The digitization effort, completed over several years, ensures broad availability of these materials for research and public use.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.