Videoteca

King George V's Durbar 1912
Film of George V's Delhi Durbar, the first attended by a British sovereign. Included on the BFI DVD "A Royal Occasion".

Round Brussels in 10 Minutes 1908 star_border 8
Brussels in the Belle Epoque, recorced on film in a straightforward way. Camera work and editing are purely functional. The film observes busy everyday life in the metropolis as it happens on the street (including Boulevard Anspach, Rue de la Loi, Boulevard Emile Jacqmain), in the parks (Brussels Park and Parc du Cinquantenaire) and on the markets (including Grand Place). The iconic buildings feature extensively, buildings such as the Bourse, the Law Courts, St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral, Brussels' City Hall and the Parliament. After the tram ride through the Forêt de Soignes to the Congo Museum in Tervuren, the film ends with panoramic images of the city.

Fox Hunting 1906
An early short about fox hunting

Siege and Surrender of Port Arthur 1905
British documentary short released in 1905.

The Kiddies and the Rabbits 1904
Kids playing with rabbits.

Japanese Funeral 1904
Early 20th century film footage of Japan.

The Latest News 1904 star_border 3.5
A man reads a newspaper whose moving letters form 'Bill Bailey has come home'.

Life of an English Fireman 1903
Firemen are awakened by an alarm, drive through London and rescue fire victims.

Weary Willie and Tired Tim: The Gunpowder Plot 1903
Tramps stick a hot poker in a barrel labelled beer but containing gunpowder.

State Entry into Delhi of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy 1903
Film showing the Viceregal party entering Delhi on lavishly decorated elephants, as part of the Coronation durbar of 1903.

Delhi Durbar 1902
Aristocracy, army, elephants and more mark the start of the 1903 Durbar.

The Coronation of Edward VII 1902 star_border 4.6
King Edward VII's coronation ceremony.

Coronation of Their Majesties King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria 1902

Little Miss Lillian 1902
Little Miss Lillian is Lillian Graham, billed as the youngest prima ballerina in the world. She appears in four different costumes, doing four dances, and the transition is handled by movie magic, stopping the camera and starting it again when costume and dance have changed.

The Death of Poor Joe 1901 star_border 3.7
A scene from Charles Dickens' Bleak House.

Japanese Schoolchildren 1901
Film produced by the Warwick Trading Company.

Visit to Pompeii 1901 star_border 6
George Albert Smith and Charles Urban snaffled the plum job of travelling to Italy to take a series of views of Italy for the Warwick Trading Company, including this one. The long panning shots of Pompeii linger respectfully, as a tourist would, before the camera finally raises its eye to the mighty volcano looming in the distance beyond.

Panorama of the Paris Exhibition No. 3 1900 star_border 6
An actuality film of the 1900 Paris Exhibition, shot from a boat travelling down the Seine.

The House That Jack Built 1900 star_border 4.7
A cleverly conceived picture of a little boy and girl with building blocks. The little girl has erected a pretty structure, which the boy proceeds to demolish with pokes of his fingers. When the demolition of the house is completed, the film is shown in reverse, and the little building comes back to its original form in a most marvellous manner.

Surrender of Kroonstad to Lord Roberts 1900
Cavalry cross the river in enormous number. Occasionally a horse stops to take a drink, and then walks on.

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