Old London Street Scenes (1903)

Traffic congestion in Edwardian London.

Made over 100 years ago, this footage shows a number of scenes shot around central London, taking in locations such as Hyde Park Corner, Parliament Square and Charing Cross Station. We see crowds of people disembarking from a pleasure steamer at Victoria Embankment, pedestrians dodging horse-drawn carriages in Pall Mall and heavy traffic trotting down the Strand.

There are plenty of famous landmarks to spot here, including Big Ben, the National Gallery and the Bank of England, and it is fascinating to see the similarities between the customs of then and now - the dense traffic (mainly horse-drawn, with the occasional motor car) is highly reminiscent of today's London rush hour, while advertising on public transport is clearly no new phenomenon - in one scene, an advert for Nestlé's Milk seems to be plastered on every other vehicle.

Credit: BFI

• Category

  Film & Animation

[constantin23454]

Funny how a video from 1906 has better quality than some videos from 2012

[shawn tipton]

You saw at the end (3.50-60) a very early fuel car or horseless carriage as they would have called it lol .

[Philip Croft]

Thanks for the guide. Except for one little car, the whole of this scene could not have happened without the poor ole' neddies. Many were treated badly and died in their shafts. My mom witnessed it--she was born in 1905 and regaled us with stories from her childhood.

[Sevenay1]

Looks chaotic! I love how the 'buses' don't even stop, people just climb on and off as they move along...

[KevinJKtheman]

I was in this, and I'm not dead lol

[Bender Fry]

It comforts me to know these films are being preserved on the internet.

[Schplendidly]

Better days!

[Amazing Curves]

At 0:22 Westminster Abbery. At 0:56 statue of Florence Nightingale ("Crimea") at 1:13 Charing Cross station hotel frontage (Eleanor Cross in front of it) 1:44 Law Courts in the Strand. 2:04 Fleet Street. 2:32 Bank of ENgland, Threadneedle Street. The traffic was just mental -- they should have brought in a congestion charge! And pedestrians just weaving in and out of the vehicles! And just think - every one of those horses had to be stabled somewhere in the city.

[chrishelenrose]

great to see these films....it just struck me that everyone in this film is dead now.

[Kathy Chelsen]

Possibly the Inns of Court?  Not sure.

[cmatcmextra]

Interesting how all the adverts then simply consisted of the product or company's name. No slogans or images at all.

[Zaete0chan]

Well spotted!