This film is part of Free
Miner's Daily Life
A day in the lives of colliers at Shirebrook coal mine on the Nottinghamshire Derbyshire border
Overview
This strikingly well-preserved film is the earliest of a number of proto-documentaries exploring the hidden world of the coal miner, which has held a fascination for audiences ever since. The danger is emphasised from the first shot, as a miner tests his Davy lamp and we see foremen searching miners for matches. There's even a dramatic arrest when a man is discovered smuggling matches and tobacco down the pit. There are impressive recreations of the work of digging the coal and beautiful low-level shots of the coal carts rolling on tracks to the rail yard.
Later in 1904 the Mitchell and Kenyon company would make a longer, more detailed film, Black Diamonds: the Collier’s Daily Life, with 18 scenes following the path from coal face to domestic hearth. In 1910 Kineto produced the well-known A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner, which uses a similar structure. With thanks to Swedish Filminstitute Stockholm.
Related
Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Bridge
Non-Fiction 1896 1 mins Silent Location: Blackfriars Br
Top-hatted pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic pass over Blackfriars Bridge in London
Aberdeen University Quarter Centenary Celebrations Aberdeen University Quarter Centenary Celebrations
Non-Fiction 1906 32 mins Silent Location: Aberdeen
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra open new buildings at Marischal College, Aberdeen
Drat That Boy! Drat That Boy!
Comedy 1904 2 mins Silent
A boy being supervised by his grandmother sees a chance for mischief
The "?" Motorist The "?" Motorist
Science Fiction 1906 3 mins Silent
The lengths that some people will go to, just to avoid a speeding ticket… in this case to Saturn and back.
Extraordinary Cab Accident Extraordinary Cab Accident
Trick film 1903 1 mins Silent
A comic traffic incident
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.