Watching The First New Mexico Color Video Ever Recorded Will Transport You To Another Time In History
By Monica Spencer|Published November 30, 2020
×
Monica Spencer
Author
Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com.
Since film’s earliest days, New Mexico has served as the inspirational backdrop for feature-length movies and TV dramas, much in the same way it has been a muse for artists. New Mexico has sweeping landscapes and well-preserved historic sites, not to mention a welcoming film industry that brings millions of dollars to the state’s economy.
In fact, did you know there are at least two notable movies filmed here in New Mexico that are an untold addition to cinematic history? The first was a short Edison Company production from 1898 called “Indian Day School.” A brief 50 seconds, this was the first film shot in New Mexico and one of the first west of the Mississippi.