A montage of 13 remarkable short films recently digitized by the Library of Congress, whose themes echo the program of the Domitor 2022 conference, entitled "Copy/rights and early cinema"

Between the wealth of the aristocrat and the fortune of the successful tradesman there is a great social difference, which is emphasized in this drama.

An innocent man, serving a sentence of five years in prison through the perjured testimony of the real criminal, Steve Carson, foreman of a shipyard, strikes up a warm friendship with his cellmate, Harold Norwood, a defaulting paying teller. No less strange than their friendship is the befriending of Steve's wife, Annie, by Julia Seymour, prima donna, who is Norwood's wife. As a reward of good behavior, the men are released on Christmas morning. Annie is bewildered by the receipt of a bank book which shows that large deposits of gold have been made in her name and that of her sister, Mary, by their uncle, George Hosford, who, dying in Alaska, has entrusted the book to Joe Hawes, a fellow prospector.

Set in London (but filmed in New Jersey), the story endeavors to prove that man's greatest enemy is liquor. When elderly tosspot John Warriner is shot for trespassing, Warriner's son holds property owner Sir Arthur Stanton. Thus begins a bitter and deadly feud between the Warriner and Stanton clans, fueled by rotgut booze. Prints of the film survive in the film archives of the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art.

Woman Against Woman is a tale of two sisters. Bessie, the older and more sensible one, is forever losing her boyfriends to Miriam, the younger, prettier and flightier of the two. While "doing the town," Miriam is lured into the apartment of a pair of letches named Crooke and Craven, who ply her with drugged liquor, then have their way with her. Holding Bessie's libertine friend, Rachel, responsible for all this, she heads to Rachel's flat and tries to strangle the life out of the woman. She also sees to it that Crooke and Craven are thrown out of their lodgings for their wanton behavior

Charlie advertises for a wife. Madeline Blue, widow, writes Charlie to the effect that she will meet him at the park gate and that he is to wear a white rose while she will do the same. The queen of the anarchists also writes to a prospective member who is anxious to meet her, that she will meet him at the park gate and that he is to wear a white rose. The queen and Charlie are the first to arrive at the meeting place. Charlie is dragged off to the anarchist's rendezvous by the queen under the impression that he is an applicant for membership. The other man meets Madeline and accompanies her home where she and her uncle are arrested under suspicion of being bomb throwers. The stranger turned out to be a detective. After many difficulties the girl and her uncle are released. Meanwhile Charlie has had his trouble. He finally makes his escape after having been ordered to blow up the judge, and succeeds in meeting Madeline and developing quite a romance.

Ouida's novel made into a 1912 film -- released within days of another 2-reeler based on the same story.

Amos Bentley was up against it in more senses than one. Times were so hard with him that he had to part with the furniture of his little apartment in order to pay his debts. However, things were inclined to take a better turn for him. He was invited to be a guest of some friends of his. And between him and the daughter of the family some sort of heart interest was supposed to exist. Disinclined to accept the invitation at first, he yielded to the persuasions of his friend, the brother of the girl, and made his way to the host's house. Unfortunately his nether garment gave way in a somewhat conspicuous place and in his attempts to conceal the tear while the evening party was in progress, poor Amos suffered a great deal of torture. Finally, he was shown into the room of his probable fiancée. And while in the act of searching for a needle and thread, was discovered by her father, who had not yet made the acquaintance of Amos.

An elderly actor who lives with his wife and daughter is dismissed from his acting job because he is considered too old. On his way home from the theatre he panics at the thought of telling his family the bad news and decides to disguise himself as a beggar. His daughter's beau accidentally gives him a five dollar gold piece, thinking that it was a smaller coin. A chase ensues with a policeman, the daughter, and her beau in hot pursuit. When caught he is recognized by his shocked daughter, but is quickly forgiven by all. Meanwhile the actor hired to replace him has already been fired and a messenger is dispatched to rehire the Old Actor to the delight of his wife, daughter, and fellow actors.

Based on JS Le Fanu's 1850 poem "Shamus O'Brien." Copies of this short film survive at the Library of Congress and British Film Institute.

Mr. Hobb's secretary and Mrs. Hobb's maid are sweethearts, but Mr. Hobbs has a tender feeling for his wife's maid, while Mrs. Hobbs forms a liking for Hobbs' secretary. Both are fired for an offense of which they are quite innocent, and while strolling in the park taking pictures with a Kodak, they hit upon a scheme which secures for them a reinstatement in their former positions, but not for long.

Thieves follow a doctor as he takes home a large sum of money. Later, when they break into his house, the doctor's wife and daughter are trapped. One of the thieves has jilted his sweetheart, who tells the doctor of the robbery, and helps him save his family.

In the little Italian home the wife feels she is neglected and apparently it seems that her husband's love is growing cold, for he has become decidedly indifferent. She, therefore, plans with her cousin to arouse his love through jealousy. At an Italian picnic, after repeated vain efforts to draw her husband's attentions toward her, she starts off with her cousin, passing in view of her husband. His fiery nature is violently aroused with jealousy, and rushing home in a towering rage, would have wreaked disaster to the entire family, for his terrible suspicion poisons his mind even against his two little children. He learns the truth, however, and realizes now to what extreme the result of his neglect would have driven him.

A young woman who is engaged to a millionaire she doesn't love meets and falls in love with a rough sailor.

An old fellow has been ordered by the doctor to take a powder in a glass of spring water. He puts the powder in the glass and then starts off for the spring a few blocks distant. By the time he arrives at the spring he is followed by a crowd of "rubber necks" who expect that some desperate deed is about to be perpetrated.

The manicure lady spurns the barber and dates a rich cad instead.

Harry wants to marry Dolly, a showgirl, but only on the condition that she can win over his disapproving father. The father is so charmed when he meets Dolly that he wants to win her for himself.

Two creative bums invade a high society gathering by pretending to be rich.

A crippled girl marries a fisherman, who also has eyes for the town flirt.

Mary is the youngest of three sisters and of an impressionable nature. She and her sister Florence are living at home with their widowed mother, while Adele travels on the road with a theatrical company. Adele returns from the road at the end of her season, and is not home long before she realizes that her place is with her mother and sisters. She finds that they neglect their poor old mother, running off to dancing parties every night and associating with the wrong type of people. Adele, who is older and more experienced, decides to stay and watch over them.

A Husband thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. His wife shows him its not.

During a stay at beach resort Mr. and Mrs. Randall neglect their daughter and follow their own interests. Mrs. Randall entertains the local minister, while Mr. Randall agrees to take his daughter on a walk along the beach. However, he is attracted by a flirtatious young woman, and the little girl wanders off on her own. She clambers onto a seaside rock where she falls asleep, unmindful of the incoming tide. Her parents at last notice her absence and begin searching for her. However, the incoming tide has by this time surrounded her rock, cutting her off from land. A lifeguard hears her cries and swims to the rescue just as the rising tide is about to engulf her. The child is returned to her parents, who receive from their near tragedy a salutary lesson in the importance of being more careful parents.

An experiment goes wrong and blinds a newly married chemist. The chemist's wife does not want to take on the burden of caring for the blind chemist, and her younger sister take her place.

Mrs. Thurston, a socially ambitious widow, is holding one of her famous Bohemian parties. To these functions are invited the leading lights of the several professions, actors, artists, musicians, etc. Surrounded by these men and women of art and letters, she was at first entertained, but they soon palled and bored. On this evening in particular, she is especially possessed of ennui, until the appearance of Raymond Hartley, a wealthy young bachelor, who is introduced into the circle by a newspaper man. An attachment immediately springs up between the widow and Raymond.

Gertrude chooses Jim over Jack, which makes Jack very jealous. Later Jim dies, and Jack marries Gertrude. He finds himself once again very jealous of the late Lucky Jim.

"Fine feathers make fine birds", and handsome gowns make handsome women. Hence it is when Isabelle appears on the scene clad in a gown that is a masterpiece of the dressmaker's art she easily fascinates the male contingent, among whom is Enrico, the sweetheart of Veronica, a street singer. Enrico is so enraptured at the sight of Isabelle in her resplendent attire that he becomes her abject slave, casting aside the poor, peasant-clad little Italian street singer, who has loved him devotedly. Crushed almost beyond endurance the poor girl stands sobbing at the entrance of the park where the inconsistent lever left her. Her tears attract the attention of a wealthy young couple who happen to pass. In answer to their queries she tells them how contemptibly her sweetheart acted, and all because of the fascinating influence of a gown.