20.10.15
Britain’s railway stations on film
Passengers passing through some of Britain’s biggest stations this week may have seen special screenings of unearthed heritage films from the BFI’s ‘Britain on Film’ collection, looking to celebrate the lives of ordinary people.
Some of the footage dates back to the early 1900s. If you’ve seen any of the screenings this week, please let us know what you thought!
The films are being shown at purpose-built stands at major stations, and are mostly going on until 12 November – that's the case at Birmingham New Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly and Glasgow Central. They will be going on a few days longer at Bristol Temple Meads, and finish a bit earlier (3 November) at London Paddington.
We’ve pasted the full news announcement below, for anyone who wants to know more:
BRITAIN’S HIDDEN HISTORIES BROUGHT TO LIFE AT RAILWAY STATION SCREENINGS
Passengers and station visitors will be able to see recently unearthed historical film and TV footage, some dating back to the early 1900s, as screenings get underway at a number of Britain’s biggest and busiest stations. The initiative is part of the Britain on Film project from the British Film Institute (BFI) which reveals forgotten stories of people and places drawn from the BFI National Archive and national and regional film and TV archives across the UK.
The films include some of the most beautiful railway journeys in Britain including Terminus (1961), John Schlesinger’s evocative, historic portrait of Waterloo station. Region specific films will screen on purpose built stands at a number of Network Rail stations including; Paddington, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Leeds. Highlights include a wonderful short film capturing Victorian Glasgow’s Jamaica Street (1901); Here is the News (1968), a celebration of the centenary of the Manchester Evening News, and Bristol, British City (1951), a moving post-war celebration of Bristol’s heritage and culture.
The screenings are part of revitalising Network Rail’s biggest stations into destinations in their own right, offering visitors a range of events and activities which celebrate arts and culture. Photographs by renowned English rock photographer Denis O’Regan, went on show at Manchester Piccadilly station last month showcasing well-loved and notorious music stars. The show, ‘Rock Through The Ages’, is touring stations across the country up until February 2016.
Network Rail’s director of retail, Hamish Kiernan, said: “Stations have been bringing people and communities together for hundreds of years and today more than ever, they are destinations in their own right. We want stations to be quality environments and welcoming places for passengers and other visitors and Britain on Film is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate British heritage, arts and culture.”
Britain on Film provides a portrait of the diversity of British life as revealed by professional and amateur footage. It features vanished landscapes, urban and rural communities, historic traditions and folklore, people at work and at play, and British characters in all their unique glory. A mixture of newsreels, advertisements, home movies, forgotten TV shows, and films by government departments all offer surprising insights into British life in the 20th century.
Robin Baker, Head Curator, BFI said: “For 120 years cameras have captured almost every aspect of life in the UK on film, but too often these have been inaccessible to all but the most determined researchers. We are transforming access to films from the UK’s archives and making them available, no matter where you live. What better way to celebrate this than by screening films at some of the busiest stations in the country. We hope that these films will whet people’s appetites for more, and inspire them to log on to BFI Player while travelling to check out historic films from their destination town or city.”
The Britain on Film archive is available digitally via BFI Player, giving people free access to a huge collection of film and TV titles about where they live and grew up. The public can also get involved with the project via Twitter, Facebook and online.
Many other arts and cultural events are planned for Network Rail stations across the country. Highlights in the coming months include:
- The Landscape Photographer of the Year competition where amateur and professional photographers showcase images of British scenery. The exhibition will be displayed at London’s Waterloo station.
- WWI exhibition on the important role played by women and the railway during World War I revealed in an exhibition produced by the Rail Delivery Group, which brings together Network Rail and the train operators.