Sinking of the RMS Lusitania – 100 Years Ago Today
Today, 7th May, marks the centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania.
The Lusitania was one of the largest ships in the world at the time, and was sailing from New York to its home port of Liverpool when it was torpedoed by a German submarine during World War One. off the coast of Ireland. About 1,200 people died and 771 survived.
And for all animation fans out there who don’t know, and are wondering why such a story is making it’s way onto an animation website, in 1918 Winsor McCay had just spent two years animating the disaster for his film The Sinking of the Lusitania. At the time, it held the record for being the longest animated film (12 minutes), and still remains the earliest-known animated documentary.
Interesting facts on the film’s production:
- McCay had assistance from his neighbor and from cartoonist William Apthorp “Ap” Adams
- As with all his films, McCay financed Lusitania himself
- McCay said it took him about eight weeks to produce eight seconds worth of film
- Its premier in England followed in May 1919. Advertisements called it “[t]he world’s only record of the crime that shocked humanity”