Heavens that narration was full of such grand wit-cracking. 23 Skidoo!

What ever happened to hats?

/well, wearing ones that don't look stupid with a suit.

The bit at the end with the puppy was a little ... weird ;)

Wow, that really was fascinating to see.

They still owe me a few quid for flattening me with their lorry. Operating a hand-crank camera whilst driving should be outlawed!

Party Boy: What ever happened to hats?

Much like all our money, the Jews took them. Seriously, when's the last time you saw a man in a hat who wasn't an elderly Jewish man?

That was really, really cool. London was the first major city I've ever urinated in public in while visiting. Good times.

/it was late and we were drunk and lost
//I'd do it again, damn it

Slaxl: Wow, that really was fascinating to see.

The difference at the Tower of London is startling. I knew that the City didn't dominate the view in the same way it does today, but not that the Port of London Authority was the only major structure visible on the skyline.

That is pretty awesome. Think I'll save that one.

Less than a decade after losing almost one million people in the Great War.

Pretty resilient bunch.

Ah old London, what I wouldn't give to have a small child sneeze in a bag before filling it with peanuts for me.

Well, glad the Great Depression took care of that sort of crap.

jimmyego: Ah old London, what I wouldn't give to have a small child sneeze in a bag before filling it with peanuts for me.

Apparently you can remove the germs by wiping your face with a terrier puppy.

Party Boy: What ever happened to hats?

They're all the rage with Hipsters right now.

I wonder about myself sometimes. The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the puppy at the end was, "Man, that dog is long dead by now."

Quite beautiful. I found myself completely entranced by these images. I also found I was overcome with a strange sadness, not for loss of things, but for loss of ways.

<b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4757046&IDComment=55829320#c558 29320">CraicBaby</a>:</b> <i>I wonder about myself sometimes. The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the puppy at the end was, "Man, that dog is long dead by now."</i>

I thought the same about most of the people

SpinStopper: The bit at the end with the puppy was a little ... weird ;)

That is evidently Claude Friese-Greene, the man who shot the films and invented the process to colorize them.

What's... weird... about... that?

Party Boy: What ever happened to hats?

/well, wearing ones that don't look stupid with a suit.

I was just thinking that.

Good show Major!

Frankly, I enjoyed the video taken in 1880 of Queen Victoria and Gladstone to be much more entertaining.

Fascinating. Good find, Subby!

Very cool. Was even better with 3d glasses on.

PC LOAD LETTER: Well, glad the Great Depression London Blitz took care of that sort of crap.

The Germans had a rather drastic approach to urban renewal.

Very cool. Nice find subby.

cleveoh: PC LOAD LETTER: Well, glad the Great Depression London Blitz took care of that sort of crap.

The Germans had a rather drastic approach to urban renewal.

That's true, but I don't think anything is depicted that doesn't exist in recognisable form to this day. Petticoat Lane certainly wouldn't be a shock to the men pictured in the footage, albeit with Jewish voices replaced by Bengali:

FarkinNortherner: Slaxl: Wow, that really was fascinating to see.

The difference at the Tower of London is startling. I knew that the City didn't dominate the view in the same way it does today, but not that the Port of London Authority was the only major structure visible on the skyline.

The differences are interesting but the similarities are greater, I thought. There are parts you can almost convince yourself it was recorded yesterday, if it was international wear a hat day.

For a comparison Internet Archive has a documentary film about a day in the life of Berlin shot in the same year. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (new window)

I think I saw John Galsworthy.

i kept thinking "all of these people are dead now"

nerf herder: i kept thinking "all of these people are dead now"

well, apparently i'm not the only one

/i should really read the thread before i post

"Cameos of London" would make a great band name.

nerf herder: i kept thinking "all of these people are dead now"

The scary thing is that some of them are still alive, at least the little children.

/peanut-sneezy would be in her early 80s

cool find, subby...I, too, felt the twinges of nostalgia that others mentioned--but I really, really wanna roll up my sleeves and put a sympathetic music track underneath that, with the title cards replaced by a jaunty British narrator....

AAA+...excellent..would watch again!

Ahh life before technology robbed us of our humanity.

Anybody know when Picadilly Circus really started to develop into a famous landmark? Would be cool to see how different it was back then.

Excellent. Thanks Coolmitter.

That made me feel mortal for a few minutes.

Surprising lack of NannyStateBlue back then.

/ended in furry pron

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: Anybody know when Picadilly Circus really started to develop into a famous landmark? Would be cool to see how different it was back then.

Um, wouldn't that be back during Roman days?

All of those people are dead. The dog, too.

That was a wicked googly.

Also, those peanuts are dead by now. And the horses.

That was bloody good!

/smashing, old chap!
//could have used some good American ragtime for the soundtrack!
///cue cards went by too damed slow, do others just not read as fast as I do?
/slashes
/slashes
/slashes

Bet nowadays that cop at the end would be arresting the cameraman on some trumped up terrorism charges.

/Or would at least question the guy

tagjim: All of those people are dead. The dog, too.

There are a few very young children seen in the film, they could still be alive, be in their mid 80s.

Digitus Impudicus: Ahh life before technology robbed us of our humanity.

Funny a Londoner of 1927 might well think the same thinking of London of say, 1840.

FarkinNortherner: Party Boy: What ever happened to hats?

Much like all our money, the Jews took them. Seriously, when's the last time you saw a man in a hat who wasn't an elderly Jewish man?

Easy there, Cartman.

Traffic was brutal. I'm sure Londoners would kill for that level now. And in 70 years they would kill for the level it's at now...

Where's the flying cars already!

The original London CCTV camera.

I find it fascinating they could pull this off more than 100 years ago. Bleeding edge before anyone knew there was an edge.

The "other" 100 years ago from 1897 ...

Whatever happened to hats?

This guy blames the downfall of the hat industry on sunglasses. Link