In the 1890s, British émigré photographers Eadweard Muybridge and W.K.L. Dickson both registered their work for copyright with the Librarian of Congress, Ainsworth Rand Spofford. Muybridge's serial photography is generally seen as the end of chronophotography, while Dickson's work is generally seen as the beginning of cinematography. During my 2022 Kluge Fellowship at the Library of Congress, I identified that beginning more precisely. Dickson's first film registration, previously listed as EDISON KINETOSCOPIC RECORDS, is now known as THE BLACKSMITH SHOP. A forthcoming monograph, titled THE BLACKSMITH SHOP, will depict the film's 130-year journey, examining the relationship between archiving, copyright, and film historiography. An ongoing research question, however, remains, as it is unclear how Dickson's initial procedure of registering motion pictures - as serial photographs - was decided. No contemporaneous circular or compendium makes any mention of this procedure. There is, however, a striking resemblance in both form and content between Dickson's and Muybridge's earlier work. My main assertion is that Spofford played a significant role in this 'legal invention' of motion pictures, possibly suggesting Muybridge's form to Dickson. As an IPS fellow at the Library of Congress, I propose to investigate the intertwined timelines of Muybridge's and Dickson's copyright registrations to solidify that claim. Researching the Library's unique primary sources, complemented by Spofford's correspondence that I have studied, will enable me to complete the research for the monograph. Additionally, it will provide potent insights into the continuum along which the process of invention and innovation extends (the 'shadow land').