Charity Costume Parade - Manchester or Salford, C.1900 -no.2

A light-hearted parade makes a wonderful charity appeal - and film

In the early days of cycling, it was common for cycling clubs to join in with local parades. Occasionally, prizes were given out for a variety of achievements, including individual and group costumes. In the early days of filmmaking, such a light-hearted parade made a wonderful subject for a film: not only was it guaranteed to be varied and interesting, but a good showman could persuade everyone he filmed to attend the screening and spot themselves. In this film, a motley parade of would-be punters files past the camera in a variety of costumes, notably a representation of the yacht Shamrock, built for Lipton’s tea magnate Thomas Lipton.