The Acrobatic Fly (dir. F. Percy Smith, England, 1908)

The challenge of the very slow lens required by F. Percy Smith for macro-photography, coupled with the insensitive film stock of the day, meant that so much light was required for exposure that the poor flies quickly succumbed to the heat. As Smith had glued their wings so they could not fly away, they used their legs to achieve memorable results seen here. Smith (1880-1945) became a full-time filmmaker in 1910, and from 1925 until his death, made more than 50 films for the outstanding British natural history series "Secrets of Nature."