Sir George White Leaving the London Hippodrome
Londoners turn out in their thousands to greet the returning Boer War hero after his famous defence of Ladysmith
These extraordinary scenes outside London's Hippodrome show the heights of patriotic fervour reached during the Boer War. Just two months earlier, General Sir George White had successfully defended Ladysmith against overwhelming Boer forces. This was his first public engagement since his return, and huge crowds turned out to show their appreciation. White (seen raising his hat in acknowledgement of their support) is just about protected from the throng by a line of police.
The Warwick Trading Company's cameraman may have headed for the scene after hearing news of the scenes that met Sir George's arrival with his wife and daughter earlier that day - which if anything were still more chaotic, at least according to contemporary reports. These scenes were filmed on 23 April, days after he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George - to add to his Victoria Cross for heroism in the Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-80. A week later he was appointed to a rather less tempestuous role as Governor of Gibraltar.
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England Expects
The military loomed large in Victorian society - and filmmakers were naturally eager to satisfy public interest in military subjects.
In the hierarchy of Victorian celebrity culture, military heroes came second only to the Queen herself. With the British Empire at its peak, filmmakers jostled for glimpses of conquering heroes like Lord Kitchener and Field-Marshal Roberts.
The second Boer War was the first major conflict of the film era, and a few intrepid pioneers travelled with their cameras to South Africa. Military commanders kept them away from the front lines, meaning they rarely captured anything of the fighting, the footage they sent home gave filmgoers an unprecedented window on the war. Other filmmakers, meanwhile, were content to re-enact skirmishes at home, or to film processions of departing or returning troops to excite patriotic audiences.
56 videos in this collection
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Coldstream Guards Embarking on Troopship Gascon
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H.M.S. "Powerful" Arriving in Portsmouth Harbour
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Lord Roberts Presenting Medals to Boer War Volunteers in Liverpool (1901)
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Wooden Walls of Old England
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Royal Scots Regiment at Edinburgh Castle (1901)
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Battle of Spion Kop: Ambulance Corps Crossing the Tugela River (1) (1900)
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A Skirmish with the Boers near Kimberley by a Troop of Cavalry Scouts Attached to General French's Column
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Tommies on the March
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Warships at Sunset
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Dispersing the Troops at Windsor after Parade
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Norton No. 57
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Trafalgar Day London 1900
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Lancers Crossing the Modder River
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Sailors on H.M.S. Black Prince Firing Cannon and Rifles
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Train Load of C.I.V.s Leaving Southampton
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War Balloon and Transport Crossing the Vaal River
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Colonial Troops and Cavalry on the March
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French Military Procession
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Gymnasts on Parallel Bars
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Lord Roberts Hoisting the Union Jack at Pretoria
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Military Parade
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Bluejackets' Field Gun Drill at Durban
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Soldiers March along a Road
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The Arrival and Reception of Lord Roberts at Capetown
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The Gordon Highlanders
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Parade of Troops with Band and Crowds Following
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1st Volunteer Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment - Blackburn Rifle Volunteers (1900)
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The 5-inch Siege Guns Crossing Vaal River
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Artillery Crossing a River
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The Australian Mounted Rifles Marching through Cape Town
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Bayonet Drill
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Duke and Duchess of York at Conway
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Entry of the Scots' Guards into Bloemfontein
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Field Ambulances Crossing the Vaal River
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The Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers Digging Entrenchments at Orange River, South Africa - The passing of the armoured train
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Gordon Highlanders Leaving for the Boer War
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Indian Army Parade
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Infantry at Pretoria (c.1900)
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Mounting and Dismounting a 3-ton Gun
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Troopship Nubia Leaving Harbour
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King's Liverpool Regiment
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Lord Roberts' Arrival in London
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Lord Roberts Leaving for South Africa
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C.I.V. Procession. Cyclists and Infantry
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Lord Roberts' Visit to Manchester (1901)
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Manchester's Welcome to the Imperial Yeomanry (1901)
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Military Sunday in Newcastle
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President Kruger
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Ralph Pringle Interviewing Private Ward V.C. Hero in Leeds (1901)
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Sir George White Leaving the London Hippodrome
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The Return of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1901)
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Return of the Brave Manchester Volunteers (1901)
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The Seaforth Highlanders' Return to Cairo after the Fall of Omdurman and Khartoum
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The Surrender of Kroonstad to Lord Roberts
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