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Sea Wave Films
The 'sea wave' genre might be one of the more surprising genres to come out of early film. But for Victorian audiences there was something hypnotic about these compact studies of movement.
Surely most of us, if we've ever stood before the sea have found ourselves transfixed by the rhythms of gently lapping waves. The violent churn of a really rough sea gives us something else again - a real sense of the ocean's magnificent, sometimes alarming power.
Rough Sea at Dover Rough Sea at Dover
Non-Fiction 1895 0 mins Silent
Waves crash onto a jetty on the Kentish shoreline in one of Britain's earliest surviving films
Incoming Tide Incoming Tide
Non-Fiction 1898 1 mins Silent Location: Worthing
Worthing waves at us in this mesmerising early film
Waves Break on Bow of a Ship Waves Break on Bow of a Ship
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins
A vicarious ocean-going experience
Rough Sea at Roker (1901) Rough Sea at Roker (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: Roker
Mesmerising film of sea waves on the north east coast of England.
Rough Sea Rough Sea
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Silent
Dover’s Admiralty Pier could be the setting for these Victorian shots of waves breaking.
Rough Sea Rough Sea
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Silent
Breaking waves at an unidentified coastal location
Waves Breaking on a Pier Waves Breaking on a Pier
Non-Fiction 1896 1 mins Silent
Intrepid tourists brave the great waves breaking on the marina wall at Brighton
Seawaves No. 1 Seawaves No. 1
Amateur film 1898 1 mins Silent
A virtual Victorian paddle; Morecambe West End Pier stretches out in front as waves crash at your feet
Seawaves No. 2 Seawaves No. 2
Amateur film 1898 1 mins Silent
Waves roll onto a shingle beach and breakwater on the Northeast coast
Sea Breaking against Some Rocks Sea Breaking against Some Rocks
Non-Fiction 1898 1 mins Silent
Waves on the North Devon coastline
Rough Seas Breaking on Rocks Rough Seas Breaking on Rocks
1899 2 mins
A simple - and simply mesmerising - film of waves breaking on a rocky shore.