Manchester Street Scene | movie | 1901 | Official Featurette - video Dailymotion

A rare glimpse of early Edwardian Manchester when the horse-drawn tram still reigned supreme. | dG1fejBRa0pOcVlwRk0

Transcript

00:00 AD Thomas filmed in Manchester in May 1901 and advertised his film as Manchester Street

00:12 Scenes. It was part of a two hour show at the St James's Hall. The audience would have

00:17 been two types of people, working class people, who would have paid sixpence to see the show.

00:23 However, Thomas also instigated a policy of carriages could actually arrive 15 minutes

00:28 earlier and pay a shilling so as not to sit with Joe public.

00:38 This shows the bustling centre of Manchester. It's the intersection of Cross Street and

00:43 Corporation Street. The lively movement of passengers, people, electric and both horse

00:50 driven tram.

00:56 When this film was shown, Thomas claimed in his adverts that over 8,000 people besieged

01:01 the St James's Hall for two showings a day to see the local film. Thomas is now seen

01:06 holding the child up to the camera and presenting a medal to one of the Boer War soldiers and

01:13 free tickets for people to come and see his show. Prices range from sixpence to a shilling

01:18 and local films are always at the centre of the attraction.

01:32 City centre scenes were far more popular than scenes of Paris or New York, other films that

01:37 were shown at the time because it gave people not just the opportunity to see themselves

01:41 on the screen but also their environment.

01:49 [Music]

01:58 you