This film is part of the Mitchell and Kenyon collection - an amazing visual record of everyday life in Britain at the be | dG1fU3dLSzBVekpwcTg
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 This was also filmed as part of the Lancashire Wakes films in association with Captain Tom
00:12 Payne, a showman based in Ashton, and it was shown, we believe, at Hollywood Wakes in July
00:17 1901.
00:20 This film shows the industrial importance of the factories to local Lancashire cotton
00:26 and woolen communities.
00:28 Over 20,000 employees were supposedly working for Lord Armstrong's Elswick Works.
00:35 At the top right of the screen, Ralph Pringle in the top hat and the most smartly dressed
00:39 of the people and a cigarette in mouth can be seen descending through the crowds, walking
00:43 towards the camera and actually choreographing again the movement of people in front of the
00:50 camera.
00:51 When this film was advertised in the Oldham area, a note to the showman said that local
00:55 pictures are the keynote of all animated picture shows in the district this week.
01:00 The films were actually commissioned the week before the annual wakes, so the workers would
01:05 often work a double shift in order to get the week off for the wakes weeks.
01:10 Ralph Pringle at this time was actually working in partnership with A.D.
01:14 Thomas, but by January 1901 had formed his own company.
01:21 When the Thomas Edison Animated Photo Company came to Newcastle in November 1900, two of
01:27 the most consummate showmen working for A.D.
01:30 Thomas were actually filming on behalf of the Thomas Edison Animated Photo Company.
01:41 The marketing attraction of this film was apparent as Thomas and Pringle advertised
01:45 this film as over 20,000 faces appearing in three minutes.
01:53 Local newspaper reports and showman papers at the time always used people's reaction
01:59 to the camera as part of the advertising policy with comments of "Oi Bill, that's me" or
02:04 "Did you see yourself last night on the screen?"
02:07 into a popular aspect of the advertising campaign.
02:24 [music]
02:44 [music]
03:11 .