Spectators on the quayside at Southampton wave farewell as the crowded troopship Roslin Castle moves away to the right of the picture. Large numbers of troops on board wave back to loved ones and the crowd including thr 2nd Battaliion West Yorkshires. Date: 20th October 1899.
A short film
The clown and his automobile enters with great puffs of smoke
Sovereigns and their suite passing in front of the monument to Victor Emmanuel II in Sassari.
A clergyman is startled by a group of automatons.
Sardinian horsemen parading, in traditional costumes.
A century-old film depicting opium smokers in French Indochina (Vietnam).
Watched by crowds, Sir Redvers Buller, Lady Buller, the Mayor of Southampton and others walk along the gangway leading to the ship towards the camera. Sir Redvers pauses to be introduced to one of the ship's officers before embarking. According to BFI programme notes, the filmmaker William K.L. Dickson can be seen bottom left, attempting to introduce himself to General Buller as he passes. Film companies were in competition to film reportage of the Boer War and Dickson was one of those filmmakers keen to do so.
Panorama of a mountainside railroad.
British officers (Royal Engineers) supervising repair work on a bridge at Frere, spanning the Blaauw Krantz River, South Africa, during the Boer War.
A little girl sits at a table, holding a container of what appears to be some sort of food. Suddenly there's a flash of movement: a tortoiseshell cat, with long hair and a very furry tail, has leapt onto the table.
A man makes twenty complete changes in two minutes, combining with them dances. The changes are made in full sight of the audience. Biondi, Fregoli and Mons change behind the scenes.
Vietnamese children collect coins that are thrown them by two aristocratic ladies.
This view represents the passage of a decorated chariot; The many spectators fight with confetti.
Carriages travel down the Champs Elysée.
A military procession.
Panorama of the battleships "Sardegna" and "Sicilia" at the naval review of Cagliari.
An embarkation reportage film from the Boer War, a popular film subject at this time. Soldiers with bicycles appear in this parade. The British Army began using bicycles from the 1880s, to expand from horse transport for men. Supplying bicycles to the the army was considered a positive business move for companies as they began to experience a public decline in sales once bicycles were no longer a novelty and inferior copies began to be marketed. Films such as this would have been seen as having a wider importance.
George Dewey was an admiral in the U.S. Navy who is best remembered for his victory at Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, which he won without the death of a single person in the battle. Needless to say since he was a big hero in this country Edison decided to film him at various stages and release them to make some money.
