Devil's Dyke Fun Fair

Early film footage of fun fair workers and revelers at Devil's Dyke on the South Downs, taken by pioneer James Williamson in around 1896.

The Miller and the Sweep

A miller and chimney sweep collide as moving sails of the windmill behind provide an animated backdrop in this 1897 George Albert Smith production.

[Train Entering Watford Station] or [Railway Traffic on the L.N.W.R.]

Passengers alight a train at a railway station, shot from a fixed position by Charles Goodwin Norton.

Washing the Sweep

A chimney sweep who disturbs two washer women gets his comeuppance in this 1898 film by James Williamson.

The Postman and the Nursemaid

Two mischievous boys disrupt a postman and a nursemaid in a garden in this comedy by Charles Goodwin Norton.

Stop Thief!

A butcher and a pack of dogs pursue a thief in this film, produced by James Williamson in 1901.

Mary Jane’s Mishap; or, Don’t Fool with the Paraffin

An accident-prone woman meets an explosive end in this 1903 production by George Albert Smith.

Petticoat Lane Market

Sellers and customers at Pettticoat Lane Market are captivated by Cecil Hepworth's camera.

A Day in the Hayfield

Men and children are seen at work and play in a hayfield in this 1904 film by Cecil Hepworth.

Oyster Fishing at Whitstable

Released through Charles Urban's postwar cinemagazine Movie Chats, but made much earlier, this film charts oyster fishing, packing, preparation and feasting in Whistable in around 1905.

A Visit to Peek Frean and Co. Biscuit Works

~A Visit to Peek Frean and Co.'s Biscuit Works~ represents one of the earliest surviving examples of a film documenting British industry. The film records the stages involved in the semi-automated manufacture of biscuits at the Peek Frean and Co. factory (Clements Road) in Bermondsey, South London, from the delivery of raw materials to the distribution of the finished article. Each stage is introduced by an explanatory intertitle.

[Bognor High Tide]

This two film compilation shows a very brief shot of a car driving through a flooded street in Bognor, followed by intertitled scenes showing a woman carding some wool; spinning wool by hand and later using a spinning 'Jenny' wheel before weaving cloth using a loom; end title.

Tansy

The story of Tansy, a shepherd's granddaughter, who is adored and mistreated by the men in her life, told over nearly an hour of footage and intertitles. Scenes are shot on location, setting action in the rolling hills of the Devon countryside, as well as interior sets. Intertitle styles make visual distinctions between spoken phrases by the characters, shown in bold white type over black, and the writer's voice, which is conveyed by elaborate script over the same still image. Several interjections are made by Hepworth himself, remarking on the narrative as it unfolds.