This film is part of Free
Street Scenes in North of England (c.1902)
A mysterious but vivid snapshot of Edwardian life.
Overview
A soggy cobbled street around 1902, probably in Lancashire. We know frustratingly little about this film, but it's stunningly-preserved and crammed with evocative detail. Men, grimy from factory work, share the street with shawled and hatted women millworkers and children in clogs. All endure the drizzle, and the delight and fascination of the children at the presence of the camera shine through.
The camera takes in little by way of distinguishing landmarks, and this street, if it survives at all, may be entirely unrecognisable today. The bearded, bowler-hatted man near the end of the film could be one of Mitchell and Kenyon's showman collaborators, or part of the crew.
Related
Lizars, Edinburgh Lizars, Edinburgh
Drama 1904 2 mins Silent Location: Edinburgh
Mitchell and Kenyon capture comedian Tom E. Murray at Lizars Theatre in Edinburgh on 12 December 1904.
Unidentified Trams and Walking Race (c.1902) Unidentified Trams and Walking Race (c.1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 1 mins Silent
Eager crowds watch the trams go by, while a boisterous children's walking race raises smiles all round.
Unidentified Chinese Men (c.1900) Unidentified Chinese Men (c.1900)
Non-Fiction 1900 2 mins Silent
How did these Chinese gentlemen end up in a Blackburn basement?
Parade of Schoolchildren (c.1902) Parade of Schoolchildren (c.1902)
Non-Fiction 1903 2 mins Silent
Can you identify this street corner, or perhaps a young face in the parade?
Mitchell and Kenyon Fiction Offcuts Mitchell and Kenyon Fiction Offcuts
Drama 1902 0 mins Silent
Two tantalising fragments of Mitchell and Kenyon's fiction films - but what do they tell us?
Scene Outside a Factory (c.1902) Scene Outside a Factory (c.1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 2 mins Silent
Men mill around the bustling yard of a large workplace, perhaps a brewery?
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.