This film is part of Free
Workers at Yates's Foundry, Blackburn (1900)
A Mitchell and Kenyon film of workers in their home town, intriguing despite (or because of) the poor lighting conditions.
Overview
In this early 'factory gate' film it's the gate that dominates, its large form darkening the whole scene. Later films are better composed; here the camera position leaves too little room for the action, with the workers emerging out of the black. But the images are crystal sharp, and there's plenty of energy in the crowd, not least some play-fighting and nose-thumbing from the high-spirited boys.
Mitchell and Kenyon had their base in Blackburn, so it's not surprising that the Lancashire town is well-represented in their films.
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