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Victorian Film
Queen Victoria's long reign famously saw extraordinary advances: in industry, transport, science, culture... But one vital innovation is too often missed: the moving image, the last great invention of the age. Yet film forever changed the way we see the world. And even before the French Lumière brothers presented their first demonstrations in London in 1895, British filmmakers were beginning to make their mark. Now, for the first time, we are making publically available all of the BFI's collections of British films made in the first six years of the medium - from 1895 to 1901.
Some of these films have been in common circulation for decades, but others are little known, and many are appearing in public for the first time since their original screenings well over a century ago.
In these collections you'll find the most comprehensive gallery of Victorian films ever assembled. Hundreds of films made over the last years of Victoria's reign - six years in which film was transformed from the pursuit of a handful of showmen, chemists and amateur enthusiasts into a dynamic industry, and from fairground novelty into the greatest entertainment of the age.
For too long, Britain's role in the development of film has been undervalued or downplayed. It's time for that to change. Starting here.
This collection is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Solar EclipseSolar Eclipse
Non-Fiction19001 mins
The magic of a real solar eclipse filmed by a famous magician
The Brilliant BiographThe Brilliant Biograph
Anthology202052 minsSilent
Immerse yourself in an enchanting compilation of newly-restored rare images from the first years of filmmaking.
Children in the NurseryChildren in the Nursery
Comedy18981 minsSilent
Seen but not heard? Three children get up to mischief after mother puts them to bed in this Victorian entertainment.
The Magic ExtinguisherThe Magic Extinguisher
Trick film19012 minsSilent
You'll never guess quite what this chap can hide under his cone...
Me and My Two FriendsMe and My Two Friends
18980 minsSilent Location: Worthing
A beatific image of Victorian childhood
The Big SwallowThe Big Swallow
Comedy19011 minsSilent
A classic early film gag - and a big leap forward for a fast-evolving new art
First X-ray Cinematograph Film Ever TakenFirst X-ray Cinematograph Film Ever Taken
0 mins
Frogs legs on film: trailblazing Victorian medical research
How It Feels to Be Run OverHow It Feels to Be Run Over
Trick film19001 minsSilent
A terrifying first-person brush with death at the hands of a dangerous driver
Rough Sea at DoverRough Sea at Dover
Non-Fiction18950 minsSilent
Waves crash onto a jetty on the Kentish shoreline in one of Britain's earliest surviving films
Vaulting Horse DisplayVaulting Horse Display
Sport19001 minsSilent
An astonishing display of synchronised gymnastics
Churned WatersChurned Waters
Non-Fiction18991 minsSilent
A hypnotic study of the wake of a ship at sea
Launch of the Worthing Lifeboat Coming AshoreLaunch of the Worthing Lifeboat Coming Ashore
Documentary18981 minsSilent Location: Worthing
Stunning footage of a lifesaving demonstration
Explore further
The Victorian Street
Some of the most fascinating of early films are those which are content to watch the Victorian world go by. Numerous filmmakers parked their cameras on street corners, outside workplaces or churches, or into sports venues to capture moments of everyday life.
Victorian Entertainment
"We are not amused", said Queen Victoria - or so we're told. Her subjects, though, were eager for all manner of entertainments. The first films made their homes in the fairground and the music hall, and the first filmmakers - several of them originally showmen or magic lanternists - were more than happy to supply the laughs, drama and thrills that audiences demanded.
Grand Tour
The Victorian age witnessed a transport revolution, but even at the end of Victoria's reign, overseas travel was still beyond the reach of many. Films, though, could transport their audiences to distant climes.
Pomp and Circumstance
Parades, processions and royal visits were a great draw for early filmmakers - not only did they guarantee spectacle but their fixed place in the calendar allowed for planning ahead. Even minor royals commanded endless fascination, while the Queen herself was the greatest celebrity of all.
England Expects
Military heroes came second only to the Queen herself in the hierarchy of Victorian celebrity culture. With the British Empire at its peak, filmmakers jostled for glimpses of conquering heroes like Lord Kitchener and Field-Marshal Roberts.
Victorian Mysteries
There's a lot we can learn about early films from producers' and exhibitors' catalogues, in contemporary accounts in newspapers or the trade press, or by examining the original celluloid film. But sometimes, try as we might, the archivists and historians draw a blank. Where and when was this film shot, and who by? Is it British? French? American? Egyptian? What does it mean?
Maybe you can help...
Victoria's New Media Pioneers
Electrical instrument maker, inventor, photographer, chemist, magic lanternist, magician - these were the men who built British film. Among that first generation of filmmakers, there were a few whose ambition, ingenuity and business acumen lifted them above the rest. And even if today's filmmakers may not always recognise it, they tread in the footsteps of these intrepid pioneers.
Inventing Film Language
In any new technology, it's the early adopters whose innovations and discoveries begin to map out what is possible. The first filmmakers had a lot to learn, but with eager audiences to please, they learnt quickly.