Detail
Theme Urban Life
Screen Archive South East is rich with images of the region's rural heritage. However the urban landscape of the region's towns and cities has also been captured well in many films over time, held in the archive. Film of Canterbury from the 1920s illustrates the old city alive with a burgeoning assortment of vehicles weaving through the streets. Film of pre-war Worthing also emphasises the increasing levels of trafic on the streets as well as recording the work of the building business run by the film-maker Mr Sparks.
The cathedral city of Chichester is illustated in many films across the decades, showing the ancient buildings, streets filled with shoppers, and one of the city's main industrial firms based there until the 1980s - Shippam's meat and paste factory.
Pre-Second World War film of Crawley shows life and events in this, at the time, small West Sussex town. By contrast, the film A New Town Story (1955) illustrates the rapid post war expansion that took place in the 1950s with the optimistic development of the flegling new town of Crawley.
Smaller towns from around the region are also featured in films from the archive such as Horsham, Folkestone, Burgess Hill, and Arundel. Walton-on-Thames in the 1920s and 1930s is illustrated through community events such as parades, local election results and sports meetings. Scenes around Tunbridge Wells in Kent in the 1950s are featured - including the Town Hall, the Opera House, Pantiles, and Chalybeate Spring.
Brighton is pictured in many of the archive's films as primarily a 'seaside resort', and to some extent, as a cultural centre in the region. Many films of Brighton therefore, have a strong focus on the leisure activities available and the pleasure seeking side of the city. However, several films in the archive illustrate some of the city's less pictured sides and more every-day aspects. This includes films showing images of bikers in Brighton, party conferences, traffic wardens, refuse collection and the main shopping streets and new shopping complexes.
Selected documentaries also illustrate the people and communities that have made a mark on the city of Brighton. The film Who Was Harry Cowley (1984) narrates the life and work of one of Brighton's foremost working-class heroes. And Bhashahara (1990) documents the immigrant Bangladeshi women living in Brighton. The region's growing multicultural population is one that the archive aims to increasingly reflect within its collection.
Films from Brighton from the 21st Century also begin to show the life and history of the city from a modern perspective. Digital City (2003) brings together 24 one minute films made as part of the Cinecity festival 2003, investigating the links between Brighton and its residents.
Films in this theme:
Showing 1 to 15 of 266 results.
[Seven Sisters Road] or [Horse-drawn Traffic in Seven Sisters Road; or, Tram Ride]
| Date | [1898?] | ID | 8415 |
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Shot from atop a tram, Charles Goodwin Norton's camera takes in traffic and pedestrians.
[Marble Arch] or [Horse-drawn Traffic Viewed from Elevated Position]
| Date | [1898?] | ID | 8416 |
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Horse-drawn coaches veer round a bend on the street below in this footage by Charles Goodwin Norton.
The Bill Poster; or, Shop
| Date | [1899?] | ID | 8421 |
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Advertising animated photographs in a shop window results in a fight in this sketch by Charles Goodwin Norton of the late 1890s.
[Euston Road] or [Horse-drawn Traffic in Euston Road]
| Date | [1899?] | ID | 8422 |
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Traffic moves in all directions in this film by Charles Goodwin Norton, shot from the side of a crossroads.
Petticoat Lane Market
| Date | [1903?] | ID | 8403 |
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Sellers and customers at Pettticoat Lane Market are captivated by Cecil Hepworth's camera.
The Jonah Man; or, the Traveller Bewitched
| Date | 1904 | ID | 8405 |
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An unlucky traveler's plans are disrupted by disappearing objects and vehicles in this 1904 film by Cecil Hepworth.
An Interesting Story
| Date | 1905 | ID | 8394 |
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A distracted man with his 'head in a book' pours coffee in his hat and injures his staff before he is flattened by a steam roller in this 1905 comedy by James Williamson.
That Fatal Sneeze
| Date | 1907 | ID | 8408 |
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A boy takes his revenge on his uncle, causing chaos across Hove in this Cecil Hepworth comedy of 1907.
The Opening of the Croydon Orpheum
| Date | 23 March 1913 | ID | 15 |
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The film records the crowd in front of the cinema, waiting to get in. People stand in the rain with umbrellas. People are seen going inside. Outside, Policemen supervise the crowd. A group of boys and other people acknowledge the camera. A car arrives. Men in top hats and women in smart clothes are filmed. A horse drawn carriage arrives. The film ends with a panorama of the entrance to the cinema.
![A still from [East Grinstead Local Scenes] (c.1913)](/wp-content/uploads/films/2194/image_a_thumb.jpg "[East Grinstead Local Scenes] (c.1913)")
[East Grinstead Local Scenes; Remembrance Day]
| Date | [1913-1922] | ID | 2194 |
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The first part is a short news item from the early 1910s showing general street scenes in East Grinstead, a parade and the East Grinstead Urban District Council Fire Brigade Sports. The second part, from 1922, shows the train station and the arrival of the North Somerset Yeomanry in the town with a parade of local regiments.
[East Grinstead Local Scenes; Remembrance Day]
| Date | [1913-1922] | ID | 12535 |
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The first part is a short news item from the early 1910s showing general street scenes in East Grinstead, a parade and the East Grinstead Urban District Council Fire Brigade Sports. The second part, from 1922, shows the train station and the arrival of the North Somerset Yeomanry in the town with a parade of local regiments.
![A still from [Traffic on Westminster Bridge; Beekeeping; Pheasant Shoot] (ca.1920)](/wp-content/uploads/films/4903/image_a_thumb.jpg "[Traffic on Westminster Bridge; Beekeeping; Pheasant Shoot] (ca.1920)")
[Traffic on Westminster Bridge; Beekeeping; Pheasant Shoot]
| Date | [ca. 1920] | ID | 4903 |
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A misty exterior wide view of the Palace of Westminster with shots of traffic on Westminster Bridge. Beekeeping material and hunting material both largely duplicated in TID: 4904 and 4901 from the same collection, but with intertitles and are not shown online here.
![A still from [The Canterbury Tour] (ca.1923)](/wp-content/uploads/films/1024/image_a_thumb.jpg "[The Canterbury Tour] (ca.1923)")
[The Canterbury Tour]
| Date | [ca. 1923] | ID | 1024 |
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A titled film showing a series of Canterbury street scenes filmed from a moving vehicle in this professional film, starting at West Gate and travelling eastwards along the High Street, passing the cattle market on Upper Bridge Street.
[Scouting]
| Date | [ca. late 1920s - early 1930s?] | ID | 8159 |
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A short film showing a teenage Sea Scout shaking hands [traditional left-handed hand shake] with man in a suit at a group gathering. The pair pose for the camera [possibly at a scouting event prize giving presentation. Titles on end of 8164?]
![A still from [A 'Capitol' Newsreel by Clifford Spain III] (1927-1934) showing a pillow fight](/wp-content/uploads/films/1518/image_a_thumb.jpg "[A 'Capitol' Newsreel by Clifford Spain III] (1927-1934)")
[A ‘Capitol’ Newsreel by Clifford Spain III]
| Date | 1927 - 1934 | ID | 1518 |
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A compilation of films of local interest which which were exhibited in a newsreel format at the Capitol Cinema in Walton-on-Thames by its manager Clifford Spain. The films record community events including parades, local election results and sports meetings. The camera pays special attention to the locals who visit the events.
Showing 1 to 15 of 266 results.