King Edward VII's coronation ceremony.

George Albert Smith and Charles Urban snaffled the plum job of travelling to Italy to take a series of views of Italy for the Warwick Trading Company, including this one. The long panning shots of Pompeii linger respectfully, as a tourist would, before the camera finally raises its eye to the mighty volcano looming in the distance beyond.

A cleverly conceived picture of a little boy and girl with building blocks. The little girl has erected a pretty structure, which the boy proceeds to demolish with pokes of his fingers. When the demolition of the house is completed, the film is shown in reverse, and the little building comes back to its original form in a most marvellous manner.

An antisemitic comedy in which two Jewish clothiers cut prices until one buys the other's stock.

The coronation of Edward VII and his wife Alexandra as King and Queen of Great Britain and the British Dominions took place on August 9, 1902, at Westminster Abbey in London.

Aristocracy, army, elephants and more mark the start of the 1903 Durbar.

Warwick. Railway actuality footage

One of the earliest films to be shot in India apparently shows the Calcutta ghats - or does it?

Several scenes of Sanger’s Circus parading through Windsor Great Park after meeting Queen Victoria on the terrace at Windsor Castle. This scene is missing, but the rest of the extraordinary cavalcade of circus wagons (or “tableaux carriages”, as they were known) and animals are present.

An actuality and reportage film. This film captures Lord Frederick Roberts (British Army rank Field Marshal) departing England for South Africa on 23rd December 1899, where he commanded British forces for a year in the Second Boer War. The ship in this film is the RMS Dunottar Castle. Going with Roberts is his chief of staff, Lord Kitchener, whose future role as Secretary Of State for War during World War One awaits him. This film was produced and distributed by the Warwick Trading Company, a London based company at its peak at this time, involved in the majority of British films.The Warwick Trading Company specialised in travel, reportage and actuality films and had substantial catalogues. Charles Urban had taken over as managing director in 1897 and was in that role when this film was produced. According to the BFI programme entry, the company had a large amount of resources already in South Africa. This meant they could capture historic moments as part of its Boer War coverage.

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.

The reception to the future King Edward VII upon his arrival to Edinburgh in 1899.

This picture, taken from Thorneycroft's Yard, shows the two boats about twelve lenghts apart - a state of things owing to terrible weather in which the race was rowed. It is a very comprehensive view of the contest and a good photograph despite the very trying conditions under which it was produced.

A beautiful phantom ride across the Firth of Forth from Dalmeny near Edinburgh to Dunfermline, crossing the famous Forth Bridge, then less than a decade old. The existing print runs 7 minutes; the Warwick catalogue entry lists it as 12 minutes, “all from one continuous negative, the longest, most picturesque and interesting cinematograph film ever photographed”.

An early short about fox hunting

Actuality film of the British Commander-in-Chief Lord Roberts presiding over the raising of the Union Jack in Pretoria during the Second Boer War. The scene symbolizes Britain’s military victory and the annexation of the Transvaal capital.

A man reads a newspaper whose moving letters form 'Bill Bailey has come home'.

Footage from the Boer War.

A scene from Charles Dickens' Bleak House.

The Passing of the Armoured Train - A large group of British soldiers are seen digging entrenchment's under the supervision of officers. A brief second shot shows an armoured train going past. The first film of British troops at the front taken during the war.