Streaming the past… Screening the Victorians, with Stephen Horne, BFI and now showing on BFI Player

This was another marvellous trip through the oldest BFI archives accompanied by curator Bryony Dixon and Stephen Horne and it featured some of the most impressive footage from the Victorian cinema era, 1896 to 1901. We’d seen glimpses of Queen Victoria before but today’s screening of Queen Victoria’s Last Visit to Ireland (1900) from a print held by MOMA, was the clearest glimpse yet of the Empress as she greeted Dublin crowds smiling and wearing sunglasses – yes, smiling!

Bryony had talked of the importance of these films as a primary historical source and, whilst they don’t necessarily show political events taking place they do show the ceremony of Empire as well as the public relations of the rulers: we were all just as keen as the crowd on film to glimpse Victoria – the acceptable face of the British industrial-military machine.

Half a World away there was a poignant reminder of the human cost fo Empire as we saw British troops retreating at The Battle of Spion Kop, a stunning panorama showing the reversal against Boer forces in 1900. Not long after, after the relief of Mafeking and near the same spot, another film, 5^th Seige Guns Crossing Vaal River gave a closer look at the weapons that would eventually win us that brutal war; a conflict that exposed the poor quality of health of home-grown recruits and saw the British invent concentration camps in which the death rate was over a third…

The Battle of Spion Kop (1900)

The army didn’t just bring destruction, it bought beauty too and the sight of well-drilled naval Gymnasts on Box Horses – Vaulting Horse Display was mesmeric testament to the power of health and efficiency. Moreccambe Church Lads (1901) showed how long the Boys Brigade would have to work to get that discipline still, it’s funny and at least they tried.

Britain was still top dog but a glimpse at the power and grace of the German Battleship Odin Firing All Her Guns (1900) showed the emerging powers around us. It’s a quite stunning display and awesome in the truest sense.

Away from the politics and pomp, Britain was as quirky and warm-hearted as we’ve always known it to be. Arthur Cheetham’s Children on Beach – Rhyl (1898) was one of a number set in North Wales and showed the working populace enjoying that rare treat of a trip to the seaside and to a Rhyl much grander than we now know. Such joy on those faces; all truly free for the day, smiling unknowingly across at their great grandchildren in London 120 years on.

There were more dancing children outside Kings Cross in Children Dancing to a Barrel Organ (1898) a film made by Charles Goodwin Norton. More joyful syncopation, steps springing that much higher after a hard day’s work.

Waiting for the train to Llandudno Junction and possibly for a trip to Colwyn Bay or Rhyl!

Britain was opening up, ever so slightly, for the common man with means and two films of the Derby 1895 and 1896 showed how sport was becoming mass entertainment. There was sadly no soccer, but the League was formed in 1888 and matches kicked off at 3.00pm to allow the workers to scrub up and have a few beers before enjoying the likes of Notts County, Burnley, Wolves, Blackburn Rovers and a team called Everton… whatever became of them?

The train network was also opening up the country for leisure travellers too and one of my favourite sequences featured a colourised journey through one of the jewels of North Wales in Conway Castle – Panoramic View of Conway on the L. & N.W. The castle and town have changed little structurally, it’s still got an almost complete town wall and my parents lived across the river for a while enjoying the same view on the same tracks often as they journeyed into “Welsh-Wales”.

There was also travel abroad with a phantom ride through mountainous Swiss valleys and some precious footage of Victorian tourists seemingly unimpressed with the ruins of another Empire in Visit to Pompeii GA Smith’s amazing 8-minute long film from 1901.

Warships at Dusk (1900)

Technical advances were in evidence everywhere, not least from those films shot on 70mm film – four times the projection area of 35mm and carrying so much detail. Astonishingly, there was even a “talkie” of sorts, Kitty Mahone (1900) featuring Liz Hawthorne miming along to a shellac recording of one of her hits: a rare snip of the sights and sounds of classic period music hall.

A variety of entertainments were also featured including small dramas, RW Paul’s Footpads (1896) in which a gent and a peeler are attacked by the titular baddies, G.A. Smith’s hilarious Miller and the Sweep (1897) – a proper dust up! – and Comic Faces – Old Man Drinking a Glass of Beer (1897). This is another G.A. Smith film and featured well-known music hall artiste Tom Green on the ale. It’s a “facial film” showing that the close-up was invented long before Mr Griffith…

Stephen Horne accompanied throughout and found so many matching moods and motifs. He’s imagined himself into many two-dimensional worlds over the years but this is special, this is home… and he does not waver: we hear how the dead can dance.

Miller and the Sweep (1897) 

there’s such a wealth of film and Bryony delighted in compiling this Victorian visual jukebox – a sample of the 700-odd Victorian films that have now been restored and digitised. They are – mostly – now available for free on the BFI Player and they are a delight. If you want to party like it’s 1899 then open your bottle of stout and just lose yourself in these vivid dreams from Empire. It’s the people more than the places that astonish and the beauty of reconnecting. This is social history at its most powerful: and should be on a recommended watching list for every historian and every Briton!

So, don't dilly-dally and get you over to the BFI's online thingamajig! God Save the Queen! And God Bless Us Everyone as well!!