Warwick Trading Company

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.

King Edward VII's coronation ceremony.

A scene from Charles Dickens' Bleak House. Despite the common belief, this is NOT the world's first Dickens' adaptation in cinema.

Tramps stick a hot poker in a barrel labelled beer but containing gunpowder.

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.

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.

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

An early short about fox hunting

Film of George V's Delhi Durbar, the first attended by a British sovereign. Included on the BFI DVD "A Royal Occasion".

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.

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

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

As a mother enters a store, she leaves her child outside in a carriage. Another woman standing nearby quickly snatches the child out of the carriage. Soon afterwards, another mother is playing with two children in the park, and when she leaves one of them unattended, her child is also seized by the same woman. These are only two of a number of children that an unscrupulous couple has captured for their own purposes.

Film showing the Viceregal party entering Delhi on lavishly decorated elephants, as part of the Coronation durbar of 1903.

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.

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.

Shot just a few days after the relief of Mafeking, this film captures the progress of British military personnel across the Vaal River in South Africa during the Boer War. Fording the river takes time, with so many ox- and mule-drawn wagons and an unwieldy observation balloon to boot. This footage was shot by London-born Joseph Rosenthal for the Warwick Trading Company - one of many films he made during the conflict.

A film adapted from the play Savage South Africa which depicts scenes from the first and second Matabele War.

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.