I was fascinated recently to find a blog and an article about how the world looked to the Victorians. Of course it wasn't black and white, as these films are, but still, they give us a good idea of what it felt like to travel through New York City or around the world before 1915.
The first is this article on the New York City subway, which was new in 1904. Scroll down to see the same images on video!
Here are some pictures of a beautiful, secret and hidden subway station in New York City, in gorgeous color.
Here is a youtube video of the kind of vaudeville dances New Yorkers would see in 1913. This song was composed to protest a curfew on restaurants and theatres.
If you went further afield than New York City, here is some footage of what the rest of the world looked like to the Victorians. This is from one of my favorite blogs, Two Nerdy History Girls. They always post something fun!