Treat to 5000 Poor Burnley Children (1905)

Burnley
1905
Silent
2m

Deprived Edwardian kids of Burnley enjoy some midsummer fun in the park.

The deafening sound of thousands of child-size clogs clattering on cobbled streets is missing from this poignant film, as are the children's excited chatter and the boom of brass bands. But the poverty is all-too visible in the children's grubby faces and ragged clothing and in the cases of rickets - bone deformations caused by a lack of Vitamin D from sunlight in industrial areas.

The Old School Yard

Children – unsung stars of so many Mitchell & Kenyon films – take the spotlight.

The more-or-less formal school parades (plus the odd sports day) collected here present a more regimented Edwardian childhood than the one which so often bursts into M&K's other films. The films capture a transitional moment in British education, with classroom provision extended in 1902's Education Act.

With a variety of educational models on display - local authority and church-run (Anglican or Catholic) - some schools are more formal or relaxed than others. As we watch them parade, it’s hard not to be reminded that much of this new generation, so full of life and hope, was destined for the trenches of World War I.