This Old Video Footage Captured English Traffic Scenes from the 1890s

By | January 15, 2016

This footage captured early English traffic scenes in various locations and various dates between 1896-1903. According to youtuber British Pathé this film may include the world's earliest moving image of a steam powered road vehicle.

A full breakdown of the film below:

--Sunderland Bridge, 1896 - Poor pedestrian, horse drawn carts, wagons and bus travel across bridge at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.

--Boar Lane, Leeds, 1903 - Pedestrians, horse carts wagons and electric tram cross large open cross roads near Boar Lane, Leeds, Yorkshire.

--Outside The Bank of England, London, 1897 - Dense horse drawn traffic in front of the Bank, a few pedestrians try to pick their way between the buses and carriages.

--Hyde Park Corner, London, 1897 - Hyde Park corner looking towards the park gates, pedestrians crowd the pavements, carriages and horse buses pass by.

--Newcastle Street, Tyne and Wear, 1903 - Motor wagon, motor car, and horse drawn wagon pass along street, pavement is lined with onlookers.

--Westminster Bridge, London - View across bridge to House of Parliament and Big Ben. Traffic passes in foreground.

--Tower Bridge, London - Views of horse drawn buses and traffic crossing Bridge.

--Empire Theatre - Ext of cinema showing Lumiere films. Handsome cabs draw up.

--Piccadilly Circus, London - Statue of Eros. People walk in foreground. Buses carry adverts for Cadbury's and Lipton's. (Some shots repeated).

--Horseguard's Parade, London - Short bleak shot of cavalry soldiers riding.

--Bradford Square, Yorkshire, 1903 - Square at Bradford crowded with pedestrians, civilian band crosses square watched by small crowd a steam tram also crosses the square.

--London Bridge, London, 1896 - View across the bridge with horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians crossing the bridge.

--Street Entertainers (Minstrels) - Blacked up entertainers sing and dance to a small crowd in the open street.

Credit: British Pathé