This film includes material originally shot by the Tilley brothers in the 1910s and 1920s. W.H. Tilley later edited, compiled, and transferred these clips to 16mm, adding caption from his perspective forty years later. The clips feature footage of the Texas Capitol grounds (1911 and 1956), Congress Avenue (facing the Capitol, 1910s), 7th Avenue (1910s), the Tilley brothers talking and strolling (1912), a Krit Motor Car demonstration (1910s), a circus parade on Congress Avenue (facing the Capital, 1912), W. Hope Tilley at Cockle Burr Hill (1925, current site of Austin's Sri Atmananda Memorial School), W.H.'s son Wesley, Jr. with a straw hat and a toy gun (mid-1920s), the commemoration and Congress Avenue parade for Austin's first mail plane (1926), Austin "flappers" (Congress Avenue, 1924), a bird on a car's hood (undated), Congress Avenue (facing south, and facing the Capital, 1924), Austin's first Vitaphone (1929, at the Majestic Theater, now the Paramount), Armistice Day parade (Congress Avenue in front of the Capital, 1925), Moslah Temple Shriner trip to California (1927, with stops in Royal Gorge, CO.), W.H. Tilley and his "well-dressed" family (Capitol grounds, 1926), Paul and Wesley, Jr. (with unidentified individuals, undated), Wesley, Jr. on his tricycle (mid-1920s), Wesley, Jr. with his mother Helen (mid-1920s), W.H. with Helen and Wesley, Jr. at "Ramona's Marriage Place" (San Diego, mid-1920s), and two family photos of Helen and Wesley, Jr. (1920s).

Brothers Wesley Hope and Paul Tilley can be counted among Texas' pioneering filmmakers. Their movie work extends at least as far back as 1910.

In addition to their short subjects (as for-hire filmmakers) and early documentary movies of Texas, the Austin-based Tilleys made cartoons, titles, slides, advertisements, newsreels, and comedy features. The brothers were also involved in the turn-of-the-century amusement business as carnival music producers and for-hire projectionists.

The Tilley brothers are best known, however, for their three commercial narrative features: Mexican Conspiracy Outgeneralled, Their Lives By a Slender Thread and The Kentucky Feud. These films were produced in 1913 around central Texas (as well as Mexico) under the auspices of their Satex production company and film lab, one of the first of its kind in Texas.

W. Hope Tilley eventually pursued his music-related activities full-time, remaining in Austin. Paul Tilley later worked with another fellow Texan in Hollywood, film director King Vidor.

Travis County Austin

Austin Travis County 1910s 1920s teens twenties nineteen tens nineteen twenties state capitol capitol grounds capitol building horses carriage horse-drawn carriage bike bicycle government architecture Texas architecture men's hats men's fashion street scene men gathering signs streets walls automobile K-R-I-T Krit motor car car dealership garage painted signs trolleys landscaping circus circus parade parade Congress Avenue Congress Ave. crowds

Cockle Burr Hill Cockleburr Hill Griffin School men's suits dirt streets streets men's glasses boy family toys toy guns overalls plane propeller plane flags marching band girl's organization marching band uniforms biplane flappers flapper dress female fashion women's fashion women's dresses women's hats birds radiator cap motor traffic pedestrians postal office telegraph office Vitaphone sound films sound movies Majestic Theater Paramount Theater neon sign Armistice Day children children's clothing

marching military military uniforms military review salute Moslah Temple shrine shriners fraternal order California trains railroads train tracks railroad tracks Colorado Royal Gorge mountains scenery fez fezzes fezes gorge Hanging Bridge Colorado River men's suits men's ties sunglasses statues fathers mothers cannons Howitzer harbor tricycles houses frame house dogs pets California San Diego

Ramona's Birthplace cactus cacti picnic TFC bikes bicycles biking bicycling