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The ornate pavilions of cinematographs, boxing booths and menageries at Hull Fair.
Non-Fiction 1902 4 mins Silent
Hull's was Britain's largest fair, held annually since the Middle Ages. This film gives a real feel for the atmosphere of its spectacular shows - Bailey's American Circus, Bostock and Wombwell's Menagerie and Randall Williams' Cinematograph. Two black men are among the fighters luring the punters to Hughes' boxing booth. Alfred Hitchcock's 1926 boxing film The Ring has a strikingly similar scene.
The black faces - not the only ones to be found in the Mitchell and Kenyon collection of films - remind us that Caribbean immigration into Britain didn't suddenly start with the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948.
Sport 1926 31 mins Silent
A bruising fight in black and white sets the tone for conflicts to come.
Non-Fiction 1964 2 mins Location: Gloucestershire
In Gloucester in January 1964, Astley Lloyd Blair makes history by becoming the first black special constable in Britain.
Drama 1999 14 mins
Troubled relationship amidst a background of a Jazz Club scene.
Performance 1979 36 mins Location: Liverpool
Black music and culture in the community
Musical 1964 70 mins Location: Liverpool
An incredibly joyous TV musical about a young woman's search for her long-lost cousin.
Music video 1962 3 mins
Jamaican dancer Fay Craig gets down to a bongo rhythym in this kitsch 1960s dance film.
Promotional 1970 16 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Tuning into the biggest consumer market for television advertising in Britain with Trident TV.
Amateur film 1982 3 mins Silent Location: Kingston upon Hull
Fans celebrate as Hull FC take home the Rugby Challenge Cup trophy after the rematch declares their victory.
Amateur film 1945 11 mins Silent Location: Preston
Playing the beautiful game - the ladies from Lancashire demonstrate their skills.
Amateur film 1972 6 mins Location: Kingston upon Hull
A whole posse of jovial amateur filmmakers descend upon Hull to film many of the features now gone, such as the ferry and St Andrew’s fish docks.
Documentary 1983 26 mins Location: Kingston upon Hull
So much to see of Hull, with its great port, fishing history, historic showdown with Charles I, and two highly impressive public loos.
Documentary 1963 29 mins Silent Location: Kingston upon Hull
Dry facts meet aesthetic beauty in this industrial film showcasing Hull’s status as a thriving international port.
Comedy 1896 1 mins Silent
A deft music hall act adapted for film, featuring the only known appearance of pioneer filmmaker Robert Paul
Advert 1985 2 mins
Take a fighter jet, a Top Gun pilot with sunglasses and a brand new SAAB 900 and you have a sure-fire vehicle to launch a Hollywood career.
Promotional 2019 10 mins
A wandering warrior dreams of a new form of expression, in this promo for UNKLE’s album The Road: Part II / Lost Highway Pt. II directed by Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
1935 16 mins
A rare glimpse of 1930s London in colour: the Thames has never looked lovelier.
1965 1 mins Location: York
A world away from zany humour, Richard Lester shows he can also capture the easy opulence of the upper class nibbling After Eight mints.
Advert 1946 1 mins Silent
Life is looking up! The war is over and the “Corona” Man can visit his “Corona” families once more, door-to-door.
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