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Tram Ride through Sunderland (1904)

Tram Ride through Sunderland (1904)

The thrill of a ride through central Sunderland to the sea at Roker.

'Phantom ride' films, shot from a moving vehicle, were an enduringly popular part of the Victorian and Edwardian film repertoire. This wintery journey around Sunderland, though not quite the thrillingly new experience it might have been to its first audiences, survives as a memorial to a city almost totally unrecognisable today. Sunderland's tram system, inaugurated in 1900, closed in 1954.

It's worth watching the film through to its conclusion when the tram arrives at its final stop at the Roker seafront. Clearly invigorated by the sea air, two men (probably Mitchell and Kenyon's showmen collaborators) dance an energetic waltz around the forecourt of the Roker Hotel, before enjoying an impromptu game of 'catch' among the beach-pebbles, waves lapping in the background.

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On the Move

Britain in the early 20th century was a society in a hurry - and transport was changing fast.

The era of mass transportation launched by the Victorians gathered pace in the Edwardian age. Mitchell & Kenyon’s films feature countless trains, buses and trams, as well as horse-drawn coaches and bicycles, though cars are still a rarity.

People where the duo’s stock-in-trade, but transport could also take a leading role. Films feature boats, ferries and ocean liners, but much more common - and frequently magical - are those which take us on a journey by train or, especially, by tram, gliding through space and time into the heart of the towns and cities of our ancestors.

27 videos in this collection

A breathtaking winter journey in the Pennines, from country to town and back again via electric tram.
1

Tram Ride into Halifax (1902)

  • Halifax
  • 1902
A fascinating film tour into the heart of Edwardian Liverpool.
2

Liverpool As Seen from the Front of an Electric Car from the Pierhead to the Circus (1901)

  • Liverpool
  • 1901
The thrill of a ride through central Sunderland to the sea at Roker.
3

Tram Ride through Sunderland (1904)

  • Sunderland
  • 1904
The luxurious RMS Lucania is bound for New York in one of Mitchell & Kenyon's most elaborate and striking films.
4

Cunard Mail Steamer Lucania Leaving For America (1901)

  • Liverpool
  • 1901
A driver's view of the Furness Railway through Furness Abbey Tunnel and Station.
5

Phantom Ride on the Furness Railway (1901)

  • Furness Abbey
  • 1900
Crystal-clear views of town, sands, sea, tourists and locals at the Lancashire resort.
6

Panoramic View of the Morecambe Sea Front (1901)

  • Morecambe
  • 1901
Views from an Edwardian railway trip, filmed just east of the Devon-Cornwall border and over the Tamar.
7

Beautiful Panorama of Railway Ride from St. Germans to Millbay (1901)

  • Plymouth
  • 1901
Edwardian tourists and businessmen hurry off the ferry and down the long pier at Egremont on the River Mersey.
8

Scenes at Egremont Ferry (1901)

  • Egremont
  • 1901
A fine variety of views of the Avon gorge taken from various positions downstream from the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
9

Panorama of the River Avon to Portishead (1902)

  • Portishead
  • 1902
Downtown Belfast is easily recognisable in these scenes from a tramcar ride in 1901.
10

Ride on a Tram Car through Belfast (1901)

  • Belfast
  • 1901
A journey across the well-known Scottish railway bridge, filmed from the engine front.
11

Over the Tay Bridge on an Express Train (1901)

  • Tay Bridge
  • 1901
An excellent 'phantom ride' through the heart of Edwardian Yorkshire's 'Steel City'.
12

Tram Ride through the City of Sheffield (1902)

  • Sheffield
  • 1902
The inauguration of the Blackpool to Lytham tram route on 28 May 1903.
13

Lytham Trams and Views Along the Route (1903)

  • Lytham
  • 1903-05-28
Tranquil scenes of rural Edwardian Ireland, on a rail journey with views of Blarney Castle.
14

Ride from Blarney to Cork on Cork & Muskerry Light Railway (1902)

  • 1902
Splendid views of Edwardian Rochdale from the front of a tram after a recent dusting of snow.
15

Rochdale Tram Ride (1905)

  • Rochdale
  • 1905
Welcoming crowds greet the arrival of a steamer to the Isle of Man, seen from a stunning perspective on deck.
16

Douglas Harbour Paddle Steamer (1902)

  • Douglas
  • 1902
Ferries across the Mersey show Edwardian workers on their daily commute to and from Liverpool.
17

Snowdrop Ferry at Seacombe (1901)

  • Seacombe
  • 1901-11
Bustling scenes show Edwardian Derry-Londonderry before industrialisation took hold.
18

Cattle Market in Derry (1902)

  • Derry / Londonderry
  • 1902
Cheering crowds and much jubilation greet the launch of the Accrington to Oswaldtwistle electric tram service.
19

Opening of Accrington Electric Tramways (1907)

  • Accrington
  • 1907
A swift ride through the centre of Cork on an early electric tram.
20

Tram Ride from King Street to Patrick's Bridge, Cork (1902)

  • 1902
A panoramic voyage along the breathtaking Isle of Man coast.
21

Tram Ride from Port Soderick to Douglas Head (1902)

  • Port Soderick Glen
  • 1902
A large liner draws away from the quay, but where is she headed?
22

Ship Departing from Port (c.1901)

  • 1901
An epic tour of the places and people of Edwardian Bradford.
23

Electric Tram Rides from Forster Square, Bradford (1902)

  • Bradford
  • 1902-04-02
Edwardian images of County Cork's famous port, filmed from a bobbing boat.
24

Panorama of Queenstown Harbour (1902)

  • 1902
A headlong tram ride passing Southport's finest emporia.
25

Phantom Ride through Southport (1902)

  • Southport
  • 1902
The future King of Siam takes a trip across the Mersey.
26

Prince of Siam in Liverpool (1901)

  • Liverpool
  • 1901
Thousands gather to see off the SS Mongolian on its way to Canada.
27

SS Mongolian Leaving the Clyde (1906)

  • Glasgow
  • 1906
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