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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...

We've collected here some of the earliest films in the BFI's collections (at least they seem to be), which we wish we knew more about. So grab your deerstalker and your magnifying glass, and put your observational skills to the test on this enigmatic assortment. Can you recognise a building, a landscape, a military uniform?

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BreakersBreakers

Non-Fiction18960 minsSilent

A handful of passers-by watch waves breaking gently onto a shore

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Indian ScenesIndian Scenes

Non-Fiction18990 minsSilent

A happy New Year from 'India'

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Unidentified Chinese Men (c.1900)Unidentified Chinese Men (c.1900)

Non-Fiction19002 minsSilent

How did these Chinese gentlemen end up in a Blackburn basement?

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Soldier ShootingSoldier Shooting

Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent

A wounded soldier takes aim

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Panorama of the Ophir Before Leaving Sydney HarbourPanorama of the Ophir Before Leaving Sydney Harbour

Non-Fiction19001 mins

See the royal yacht Ophir at anchor in Sydney Harbour on its tour of the Empire

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Wedding Ceremony in a ChurchWedding Ceremony in a Church

19002 minsSilent

Who doesn't love a wedding? This breezy film squeezes the whole service into two minutes flat

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Crude Set DramaCrude Set Drama

Comedy18961 minsSilent

A basic bit of early comic storytelling on film

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Woman and a Pram HoodWoman and a Pram Hood

Interest film18970 mins

Woman tucks notional baby into prop pram

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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.

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Unidentified Factory Gate (c.1900)Unidentified Factory Gate (c.1900)

Non-Fiction19002 minsSilent

Mystery workers hurry through cobbled streets

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Unidentified Factory Gate Exit in Lancashire (c.1900)Unidentified Factory Gate Exit in Lancashire (c.1900)

Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent Location: Lancashire

A diverse workforce make their way from the factory, perhaps a Lancashire cotton mill?

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Unidentified Park (c.1900)Unidentified Park (c.1900)

Non-Fiction19011 minsSilent

An expectant crowd gathers for a Victorian public performance.

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City Square with ProcessionCity Square with Procession

Non-Fiction18970 minsSilent

This city square plays host to a fantastic procession of mounted soldiers