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Street Life
The early filmmakers couldn't take their cameras indoors - the lamps powerful enough to illuminate the scene weren’t yet available. So it's a good thing so much of Victorian society could be seen outside.
Almost any street corner, in any town or city - or park, field or promenade for that matter - could offer the filmmaker a minute or so of lively images. For the audience, it might be an opportunity to see a familiar location in a new light - and catch sight of friends, family or even themselves - or to be transported to some distant place. The world was getting smaller.
The Derby 1896The Derby 1896
Non-Fiction18960 minsSilent
A pioneering example of filmed news: from Epsom to the screen in record time
Feeding the TigersFeeding the Tigers
Interest film18991 minsSilent
A big cat has to perform for its supper in this early actuality film
H.M.S. Powerful Moored at PortsmouthH.M.S. Powerful Moored at Portsmouth
Non-Fiction19000 minsSilent Location: Portsmouth
Take a good look at one of the era's largest warships - the hefty H.M.S. Powerful, back from the Boer War
Beach SceneBeach Scene
Non-Fiction18971 minsSilent
A charming image of children paddling on a pebbly beach on a hot summer's day
BeaglesBeagles
Amateur film18982 minsSilent
A pack of beagles are assembled for a hunt by their trainers and a huntsman
Belfast Street Scenes 1890'sBelfast Street Scenes 1890's
Non-Fiction18982 minsSilent Location: Belfast
A view down the High Street featuring the Albert Clock, a shot of Queen's Bridge and the docks
Boys Playing in SnowBoys Playing in Snow
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Wintry fun as a gang of Victorian boys launch a boisterous snowball assault
Boys Scrambling for PenniesBoys Scrambling for Pennies
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent
A group of boys scramble to retrieve pennies tossed into the shallow water at the foot of Brighton's West Pier.
Boys SlidingBoys Sliding
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Snow fun: schoolboy japes brighten a wintry Victorian day.
Coaches and HuntsmanCoaches and Huntsman
Non-Fiction19000 minsSilent
An illustration of horsemanship straight out of a Victorian novel
Diving at Port Skillion, Isle of ManDiving at Port Skillion, Isle of Man
18971 minsSilent Location: Isle of Man
Victorian athletes demonstrate their diving skills at the pool - until an interloper makes the wrong kind of splash
Drive Past of Four-in-HandsDrive Past of Four-in-Hands
Non-Fiction18990 minsSilent
Tally-ho! A display of driving skill, Victorian-style, with horse-drawn carriages impressing crowds at a country fair
Early British Loco - C.1900Early British Loco - C.1900
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
A railway mystery: where are we? Can you help?
Factory WorkersFactory Workers
Non-Fiction19003 minsSilent
The daily exodus of Victorian factory workers - but where?
First Film of BlackpoolFirst Film of Blackpool
Non-Fiction18993 minsSilent Location: Blackpool
Blackpool Tower is hard to miss in this local version of a 'phantom ride'
A Game of SnowballingA Game of Snowballing
Comedy18992 minsSilent
Mischievous Victorian kids build a snowman - out of a passer-by!
Highland ReelHighland Reel
Interest film18991 minsSilent
A traditional Scottish dance, specially staged at Balmoral for Queen Victoria
Horse-drawn Traffic in Seven Sisters RdHorse-drawn Traffic in Seven Sisters Rd
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent Location: South Tottenham
London N7 as you've not seen it before: a Victorian tram ride view of the Seven Sisters Road
Horse-drawn Traffic Viewed from Elevated PositionHorse-drawn Traffic Viewed from Elevated Position
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent Location: King's Cross Sta
Webcam, Victorian style: high-angle film of London streets
Hunting SceneHunting Scene
Non-Fiction18971 minsSilent
A classically Victorian scene - horses and hounds setting off on an old-fashioned fox hunt
Iron Foundry WorkersIron Foundry Workers
Industry sponsored film18991 minsSilent
Death-defying iron workers
Jack's Game of Cricket on Board H.M.S. GibraltarJack's Game of Cricket on Board H.M.S. Gibraltar
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Sailors strip off for a playground game with shovels for bats and coal for a ball
May-DayMay-Day
Amateur film18991 minsSilent Location: Cockermouth
A May Day parade down Cockermouth’s Main Street, filmed by a local draper
Men, Women and DogMen, Women and Dog
Interest film19001 minsSilent
If a man makes improper advances, could a dog defend the honour of a Victorian lady?
Open-air Pig AuctionOpen-air Pig Auction
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
The source of a few Victorian families' bacon rashers and Sunday roasts - a pig is sold at an old-fashioned auction
Salvaging a SteamrollerSalvaging a Steamroller
Non-Fiction19002 mins
A hapless fairground engine is rescued from a ditch
SnowballingSnowballing
18990 minsSilent
Can a freshly made snowman survive a hail of icy artillery in this epic Victorian snowball fight?
Storm at Sandown I.O.W.Storm at Sandown I.O.W.
Non-Fiction19001 mins Location: Sandown
Crashing waves batter the seafront at Sandown on the Isle of Wight
Switchback RailwaySwitchback Railway
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent
Fairground visitors enjoy a bumpy ride.
Train Entering Hove StationTrain Entering Hove Station
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent Location: Hove
A scene from the golden age of rail travel - all the hustle and bustle of a Victorian train station
Train StationTrain Station
Amateur film18991 minsSilent Location: Cockermouth
Driver and Station Master exchange a staff as this LNWR 'local' stops for passengers
Vinolia SoapVinolia Soap
Advert18981 minsSilent
One of the earliest films showing off a brand: three women pack Vinolia soap into boxes
W.G. Grace Filoscope FilmW.G. Grace Filoscope Film
Non-Fiction18990 minsSilent
Two cricketing legends captured on an early home movie device
Workers Leave a FactoryWorkers Leave a Factory
Non-Fiction19001 mins
Subject: factory gate. Location: unknown...
Workers Leaving Work at VickersWorkers Leaving Work at Vickers
Non-Fiction19001 mins Location: Barrow-In-Furness
Factory gate glimpses at - we think - Barrow-in-Furness
A Wreck in a GaleA Wreck in a Gale
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
The ship may have been wrecked already, but storm waves batter it once again in this fearsome Victorian footage
Boys' Cricket Match and FightBoys' Cricket Match and Fight
Comedy19002 minsSilent
A rambunctious local scene
Coolie Boys Diving for CoinsCoolie Boys Diving for Coins
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Local boys in Singapore harbour
Deck and Rigging of a Sailing ShipDeck and Rigging of a Sailing Ship
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Visually striking Victorian interest film
The Derby 1895The Derby 1895
Non-Fiction18951 minsSilent
An exciting finish suggests that this is one of the very earliest British films
Five Large Yachts SailingFive Large Yachts Sailing
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Five large yachts sail by on a calm stretch of water, possibly a river or estuary
Haggars Bioscope CameraHaggars Bioscope Camera
19001 minsSilent
A bit of publicity for a Welsh film pioneer
Jethart's HereJethart's Here
Non-Fiction19284 minsSilent Location: Jedburgh
A big celebration in Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders
Leap FrogLeap Frog
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
The familiar game turns into something not seen in modern playgrounds: have you played Mounty-Kitty?
People passing through GatePeople passing through Gate
Non-Fiction19012 mins
A host of faces pass before the camera in a lively but frustrating film
Arthur Mold Bowling to A.N. Hornby (1901)Arthur Mold Bowling to A.N. Hornby (1901)
Non-Fiction19019 minsSilent Location: Old Trafford Cricket Ground
Did he bowl or did he throw? A fascinating record of an early cricketing controversy.
Bradford Town Hall SquareBradford Town Hall Square
Non-Fiction18962 minsSilent Location: Bradford
The earliest surviving footage of bustling Victorian Bradford.
Children Leaving Tyldesley Catholic School, Lodge Road (1901)Children Leaving Tyldesley Catholic School, Lodge Road (1901)
Non-Fiction19012 minsSilent Location: Tyldesley
Edwardian boys and girls leave school, shuffled along by their earnest teachers.
Children playing with skipping ropeChildren playing with skipping rope
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent
The action in this little film is clear enough, even if the context remains a mystery.
Comical ChrisComical Chris
Amateur film18981 minsSilent Location: Morecambe
Victorian revelry on Morecambe Seafront.
The Derby: Coaches, Etc, Through Epsom TownThe Derby: Coaches, Etc, Through Epsom Town
Non-Fiction18992 minsSilent Location: Epsom
Red letter day for the Victorian horseracing fraternity and the Surrey town.
Early Fashions on Brighton PierEarly Fashions on Brighton Pier
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent Location: Brighton
An accidental fashion parade as holiday promenaders pass before the camera on Brighton Pier
Feeding the SeagullsFeeding the Seagulls
Non-Fiction18991 minsSilent
Greedy seagulls at Portrush, Northern Ireland
Lady CyclistsLady Cyclists
Interest film18991 minsSilent
A two-wheeled convoy of Victorian gentlewomen in a charming early film enigma.
Lady Mostyn Discharging Grain at Irvine (c.1901)Lady Mostyn Discharging Grain at Irvine (c.1901)
Non-Fiction19013 minsSilent Location: Irvine
Dock workers unload grain from a cargo ship in Edwardian North Ayrshire.
Launch of the Filey LifeboatLaunch of the Filey Lifeboat
Non-Fiction19002 mins
On the Yorkshire coast, a Victorian crew launch their lifeboat the old-fashioned way, with a horse-drawn slipway
Manchester Street Scenes (1901)Manchester Street Scenes (1901)
Non-Fiction19015 minsSilent Location: Manchester
A rare glimpse of early Edwardian Manchester when the horse-drawn tram still reigned supreme.
Ribble at Preston (c.1901)Ribble at Preston (c.1901)
Non-Fiction19011 minsSilent Location: Preston
An afternoon's boating in the River Ribble at Edwardian Preston.
Scenes at Chester on the River Dee (1901)Scenes at Chester on the River Dee (1901)
Non-Fiction19018 minsSilent Location: Chester
Messing about in boats on the River Dee - fine frocks and frolics at Chester Regatta.
Scenes at Egremont Ferry (1901)Scenes at Egremont Ferry (1901)
Non-Fiction19012 minsSilent Location: Egremont
Edwardian tourists and businessmen hurry off the ferry and down the long pier at Egremont on the River Mersey.
Scenes at Monument Bridge in Hull (1900)Scenes at Monument Bridge in Hull (1900)
Non-Fiction19002 minsSilent Location: Kingston upon Hull
A melee of traffic, carts, trams, bicycles and people of all ages squeeze past the camera in Victorian Hull.
Scenes in a Manchester Park (c.1901)Scenes in a Manchester Park (c.1901)
Non-Fiction19015 minsSilent Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy
An enigmatic Edwardian snapshot recording a ceremonial procession of soldiers and police in the Manchester suburbs.
Scenes in Hull (1901)Scenes in Hull (1901)
Non-Fiction19011 minsSilent Location: Kingston upon Hull
A street scene in Edwardian Hull is dominated by advertising for an event to celebrate returning soldiers from the Boer War.
Scenes of Ashton under Lyne (1901)Scenes of Ashton under Lyne (1901)
Non-Fiction19013 minsSilent Location: Ashton-Under-Lyne
Aspects of the Lancashire market town, with policemen, small girls, dogs and passers-by.
Scenes of Carlisle (1901)Scenes of Carlisle (1901)
Non-Fiction19012 minsSilent Location: Carlisle
A well dressed crowd emerges from an unknown building and engages with the camera.
Seaham Harbour 1899Seaham Harbour 1899
Non-Fiction18992 minsSilent Location: Seaham
Victorian County Durham celebrates the construction of Seaham Pier in a formal ceremony.
Sedgwick's Bioscope Showfront at Pendlebury Wakes (1901)Sedgwick's Bioscope Showfront at Pendlebury Wakes (1901)
Non-Fiction19012 minsSilent Location: Pendlebury
Outside a fairground cinematograph in Edwardian Lancashire.
Sheep WashingSheep Washing
Amateur film18991 minsSilent Location: Cockermouth
Fancy a dip? Sheep get thrown in at the deep end in this glimpse of late Victorian farming
Snowdrop Ferry at Seacombe (1901)Snowdrop Ferry at Seacombe (1901)
Non-Fiction19015 minsSilent Location: Seacombe
Ferries across the Mersey show Edwardian workers on their daily commute to and from Liverpool.
Street Scene - Men with CartStreet Scene - Men with Cart
Comedy18981 minsSilent
The kids are the stars in this early street scene
Street Scene in Boar Lane (Leeds)Street Scene in Boar Lane (Leeds)
Non-Fiction18982 minsSilent Location: Leeds
Busy Leeds traffic
Traction Engine Hauling TimberTraction Engine Hauling Timber
19001 minsSilent
An incidental scene from the Anglo-Boer war, with wagons of timber moved by a steam engine
Trip to Sunny Vale Gardens at Hipperholme (1901)Trip to Sunny Vale Gardens at Hipperholme (1901)
Non-Fiction19017 minsSilent Location: Hipperholme
Summertime laughs and larks at a West Yorkshire pleasure gardens.
Children Dancing with Barrel OrganChildren Dancing with Barrel Organ
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent
Roll out the barrel organ for some street dance, Victorian style
Children in Front of FactoryChildren in Front of Factory
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
Here's looking at you, kids. An early film camera draws in the children in this street scene
Children on Beach 1898Children on Beach 1898
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent Location: Rhyl
Seaside play at Rhyl - charmingly filmed by Wales' first filmmaker
Horse Drawn TrafficHorse Drawn Traffic
Non-Fiction18960 minsSilent
Peer through a window into late Victorian city life, where pedestrians reclaim the streets
Maypole DanceMaypole Dance
Non-Fiction18981 mins
Early film technology has had a strange effect on the recording of this traditional May Day ritual
Physical Drill: Indian ClubsPhysical Drill: Indian Clubs
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent Location: Whale Island
Sailors do fashionable exercises at Portsmouth
Playground CricketPlayground Cricket
Non-Fiction19011 mins
The origin of the silly point? An impossibly chaotic backdrop to schoolboy cricket in this early film
Bicycling GroupBicycling Group
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent
A procession of cyclists approaching the camera down the wide path of a public park
Blackfriars BridgeBlackfriars Bridge
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent Location: Blackfriars Br
Top-hatted pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic pass over Blackfriars Bridge in London
Boys Mudlarking in RiverBoys Mudlarking in River
Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent
These lads are bound to take a dunk in the Thames
Train TunnelTrain Tunnel
Non-Fiction18980 minsSilent
A view out of a railway tunnel, which could have formed part of a longer ‘phantom ride’ film.
Street Scene in unidentified European cityStreet Scene in unidentified European city
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent
Few clues to who shot these Victorian scenes on an unknown bridge, and where.
Shipping on the ThamesShipping on the Thames
Non-Fiction18981 minsSilent
Filmed by Rotherhithe, this film provides a glimpse into Victorian working life on the Thames.
Circus ParadeCircus Parade
Non-Fiction19002 mins
Roll up, roll up! An outlandish circus parade wows the streets of Victorian Huddersfield
Town Moor Fair ScenesTown Moor Fair Scenes
Non-Fiction18981 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
All the fun of the fair in this Victorian film, made in the early years of Newcastle's famous Hoppings
View from an Engine Front - Train Leaving TunnelView from an Engine Front - Train Leaving Tunnel
Non-Fiction18991 mins
And we're off! Take a ride on a steam engine into total darkness, but never fear, there's light at the end of the tunnel
Southport Pier 1899Southport Pier 1899
Non-Fiction19051 mins Location: Southport
When you're on a pier this long, you can be forgiven for taking public transport
Yarmouth Fishing Boats Leaving HarbourYarmouth Fishing Boats Leaving Harbour
Non-Fiction18961 minsSilent
A lively Victorian harbour scene, destined for a royal viewing
View from an Engine Front - IlfracombeView from an Engine Front - Ilfracombe
Non-Fiction18984 minsSilent
A Victorian train trip through the Devonian countryside and into the famous seaside town.