Sacramento is no stranger to film — not only do we have our own office to help cinematic + television productions in the River City, there’s also a long list of well-known movies and shows that have filmed here, like our very own Greta Gerwig’s “Ladybird,” the TV drama “The Mentalist,” and “Almost Famous.”
But what if we went further into our filmic past, to the very beginnings of motion pictures? We’re talking before “talkies” + silent era films, back when people would sit twenty minutes for something called a daguerreotype.
There we would find ourselves in Sacramento in the late 1870s at the heels of the origin story for the “father of motion pictures” — Eadweard Muybridge.
Eadweard Muybridge, the “father of motion pictures” | Public Domain Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Eadweard (his first name is an archaic spelling of “Edward”) was born in England in 1930. Originally a bookbinder, he received training in photography in his home country before he went west in 1866 to work for the government, documenting scenes of the West Coast.
He did this in a “darkroom wagon” that he called the The Flying Studio — capturing early panoramas of places like San Francisco as he went along the Western side of the US. Needless to say, he was making quite the name for himself + caught the attention of Governor Leland Stanford.
The governor became Eadweard’s patron in 1872, tasking him with either proving or disproving that all four hooves of a horse come off the ground while galloping.
Thanks to the Sac experiments, Eadweard made this “first-ever” film. | Public Domain video via Giphy
Eadweard at first thought it impossible with the photographic technology of the time, where the photographic exposure (the capturing of light) would need at least 15 seconds on a good day. For Eadweard, he would need an exposure to happen in a fraction of a second.
The project wore on for five years (due in part to him going into exile for murdering his wife’s lover) + cost more than $50,000.
The Slaps | Mon., May 9 | 7 p.m. | The Starlet Room | $16 | The trio of “lo-fi slacker pop” rockers come to the River City. 🎶
Tuesday
Gallery Bytes | Tues., May 10 | 10 a.m. | Virtual | Free | Put on by the Crocker Art Museum, this bilingual conversation — in both Spanish + English — will take a deep dive on a single artwork.
After The Burial + Thy Art is Murder | Tues., May 10 | 6 p.m. | Ace of Spades | $25+ | Deathcore + djent come together as these two bands rock the R St. venue. 🎸
Wednesday
This Much I Know To Be True | Wed., May 11 | 7 p.m. | Tower Theatre | $12 | This documentary explores the creative relationship between Nick Cave + Warren Ellis. 📽️
Blues & Bourbon | Wed., May 11 | 5:30 p.m. | The Starlet Room | $23+ | Catch Tail Dragger — a blues singer named by the legendary Howlin’ Wolf — as he reunites with bandmate Johnny Burgin at this special show.
Celtic Woman | Wed., May 11 | 7 p.m. | SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center | $44+ | The Grammy-nominated musical group will transport you to the verdant hills of the Emerald Isle with its “Postcards from Ireland” tour. 🇮🇪
Saturday
Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival 2022 | Sat., May 14-Sun., May 15 | Times vary | Southside Park | Prices vary | Your tastebuds will melt at this annual fest as you indulge in specialty grilled cheese sandwiches + craft beer pairings. 🧀
Country in the Park | Sat., May 14-Sun., May 15 | 12-10 p.m. | Cal Expo | $40+ | This two-day music festival is headlined by Dustin Lynch + Cole Swindell, and features free activities like a mechanical bull. 🪕
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Picnic’s plans combine over-the-counter and prescription meds for maximum effectiveness. |
Photo provided by Picnic
Is allergy season worse this year? Yes, according to the experts — and Sacramento is no exception. The good news: You can say peace out to your symptoms with a treatment plan from Picnic. ✌️
Interested? Take Picnic’s allergist-designed quiz to receive a personalized plan that treats your specific symptoms.
Bonus: It’s delivered right to your door,so you have plenty of time to get back to rafting down the American River allergy-free.*
$13.4 million. That’s how much money was raised during the tenth annual Big Day of Giving on Thursday, setting a new all-time record for the event. According to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation — which organizes the event each year — more than 30,000 donors participated. (Sac Bee)
Civic
As part of the SCORE initiative — Sacramento Centered on Racial Equity — from the city + nonprofit organization Race Forward, two new community-based groups are being formed. These groups will work with the city’s Racial Equity Committee on the development of lenses and allocations of resources. Applications to join are due tomorrow. (Engage Sac)
Announced
The Sacramento Bee will begin accepting applications for its “Clean Slate” program. The program will provide an opportunity for those “who have committed minor criminal offenses” to review and potentially change articles if the stories had enduring negative impacts. 📰 (Sac Bee)
Coming Soon
A rooftop event space for weddings, parties + more is slated to open tomorrow to top off the newly remodeled three-story building at 1201 J St. Dubbed Aurora, it will be able to accommodate 170 people. Register for the grand opening event. (Sacramento Magazine)
A father-daughter owned pizza shop is in the process of rolling out its debut location in Old Sacramento. Called Frankie’s Pizza, it will take over the 4,000-sqft space at 200 K St. to serve classic pies, calzones + deep fried wings. 🍕 (Sac Biz Journal)
Environment
A UC Davis studysuggests that it’s time to shift management strategies away from fire suppression and towards letting fires burn. The study claims that suppression allows fire fuel — like dry leaves + grass — to accumulate, making catastrophic fires more likely. (CBS13)
Closed
Flock — Folsom’s artisanal pizzeria that we shared with you when it opened in February — announced that it hasshuttered as of last Wednesday evening. The eatery served pizzas like fennel sausage + plates like Spanish octopus and New York strip steak. (Sac Biz Journal)
Development
Following the demolition of six structures at the intersection of 15th St. + S St. in Midtown, a new mixed-use project is in the process of being built. The five-story building will feature 12,800 sqft of commercial space on the ground floor, with 76 housing units on the floors above. 🏗️ (Living in Urban Sac)
Show
Comedian Chris Garcia is coming to Punch Line Sacramento to perform stand-up Thurs., May 26-Sat., May 28. Tickets ($20-35) are available now — see showtimes + more details. 🎤 *
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If you were like the savvy Redditors who kept eyeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile around our city, and were wondering what’s up — we can explain.
The tubular truck was scheduled to appear at two different events over the weekend. The first was the “Cruise in Car Show” at Stardust Vintage Emporium on Friday + the second was Sunday’s “Mom’s Day Celebration” at Two Rivers Cider.
All we can say is, we don’t condemn-it. Well, maybe some mustard + relish.
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Editor’s Pick: In researching for today’s story, I wanted to learn about movies that have held production in the River City — beyond obvious choices like “Lady Bird.” One of the films I was surprised to read about was “Pleasantville” with Tobey Maguire, which features a flyover shot of Sacramento.
Missed Friday’s newsletter? We gave you a pre-show look at Concerts In the Park.
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