Street Scene in unidentified European city

1896
Silent
1m

Few clues to who shot these Victorian scenes on an unknown bridge, and where.

Another mystery, somewhat characteristic of the bits of film that survive from the Victorian era, this film is full of clues, none of which have so far led to a solution. What is the domed building on the left of the frame? Where is the bridge that the action takes place on? Does the bunting signify a special event? If so, when and why? Once again film, as a medium, baffles with its ability to gather numerous details, but none of them have as yet confirmed where and when the film was made.

Victorian Mysteries

A selection of some of the most enigmatic of early British films. Can you help us unlock their secrets?

We can learn a lot about early films from producers' and exhibitors' catalogues, in contemporary accounts in newspapers or the trade press, or by examining the original celluloid film. But try as we might, archivists and historians sometimes draw a blank. Where and when was this film shot, and who by? Is it British? French? American? Egyptian?

We've collected here some of the earliest films in the BFI's collections, which we wish we knew more about. So grab your deerstalker and your magnifying glass, and put your observational skills to the test on this enigmatic assortment. Can you recognise a building, a landscape, a military uniform?