Seeing London (1918)

Sep 24, 2015



A unique glimpse at London in 1918, some months before the end of World War I. The film shows some of the famous sights of the city, from Westminster to St Paul's Cathedral, from Clepotra's Needle to the Tower of London where military exercises are being held. The film was shot by the American traveler Elias Burton Holmes (1870–1958) who photographed and filmed his travels abroad, later holding lectures and screening the films to paying audiences. Other than providing unique early documentation of London's top sights, the film also shows a baseball match played between the US Army and US Navy where King George V is seen attending and greeting the players. The match was played at the Chelsea Football Ground on July 4th, the American Independence Day, and was attended by 18,000 spectators, including the King and Queen.