Sarah Whitley



Sarah Whitley (née Robinson, 1816 – 24 October 1888) is credited as the earliest-born woman known to have appeared in a film. She was the mother-in-law of cinematic pioneer Louis Le Prince and was filmed by him 10 days before her death, aged 72.

In the 1888 film, Roundhay Garden Scene, Whitley is seen walking or dancing backwards.

She and her husband Joseph, who also appears in the film, were the parents of Le Prince's wife, Elizabeth. The film was shot in their garden at Oakwood Grange, Roundhay, Leeds, on 14 October 1888.

She is the earliest-born woman known to have appeared in a film. The earliest-born man was Pope Leo XIII (1810–1903). He was filmed in 1896. She was also the first known person who had appeared in a film to die.

Death
Whitley's death on 24 October 1888, is commemorated by a gravestone in the churchyard of St John's Church, Roundhay.