London 1904 on film

This amazing film of Londoners in 1904 was shot by Charles Urban to show Australians what life in London was like. It stayed hidden and forgotten in a Canberra archive until discovered by Professor Ian Christie. Londonist points out that the film is particularly unusual among early cinema for featuring ordinary people rather than staged performances. It's an amazing window into life a century ago, complete with Edwardian outfits and cheeky children (note the boy on the bridge in the second scene)!

The full 12-minute reel, along with another 15 or so films of London, is being shown this evening in Trafalgar Square. If you can't make it on such short notice, at least we have this sample to enjoy.