The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Cook's Tour
The bicentenary of Captain James Cook’s first epic naval voyage is celebrated by Whitby townspeople in this jubilant short film.
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Overview
The profound legacy of one of the most important British explorers of all time, Captain James Cook, is the subject of this historically-themed film shot in Whitby. The Whitby locals are celebrating the bicentenary of Captain Cook’s first great voyage, with men, women and children marching through the street from the outset, leading up to a grand military display by Cook’s statue in the town.
Captain James Cook is one of the most famous naval explorers of the 18th Century. He was the first recorded individual to successfully circumnavigate New Zealand and make contact with native peoples on the east coast of Australia and Hawaii. Cook is reported to have fallen in love with seafaring whilst working as a shipping trainee in the seaside town of Whitby. Captain Cook’s former house in Whitby now contains a museum dedicated to the preservation of his nautical legacy.
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