Trafalgar Day London 1900

With the Boer War raging 1,000s of miles away, Victorian Londoners pay tribute to the military

From a convenient spot on the pavement, we see crowds congregating at the foot of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. The occasion is Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1900 - an annual celebration of Admiral Nelson's famous naval victory - but the commemoration is especially poignant while the country is caught up in the Boer War. The floral display is very eye-catching, but the advertising on the buses, and the gentlemen's formal dress complete with top hats, may be more diverting to modern viewers.

This film was made by the Warwick Trading Company, an early American film production outfit run from a London office. Warwick specialised in actuality and travel films, which were shot all over the world, as well as closer to home in the British capital.