Factory Workers in Clitheroe (1901)

Crowds of cotton workers flow through the gates of the Clitheroe textile mill.

In the opening shots one of the Poole brothers, who commissioned this film, bows to the camera in true showman style. Film exhibition was a fiercely competitive business, and Mitchell and Kenyon worked for more than 40 different companies. Advertising was vital to success and here we actually see the showmen distributing leaflets promoting the forthcoming cinematograph event to the crowds.