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Originally thought to have been the work of G.A. Smith, Early Fashions on Brighton Pier is now credited to Hove-based pioneer James Williamson, and is thought to have been shot at around 1898. It consists entirely of a single shot from a fixed camera position, taken on the pier looking out to sea, with assorted promenaders filing past. What makes it of slightly more interest than a typical actuality film of the period is the presence of two children larking about in the foreground, repeatedly gurning and waving. These are now believed to be Williamson's own sons accompanying their father on location, which would explain their clear understanding of what the camera was doing even at this very early stage of the medium's development. By contrast, the other promenaders seem blithely unconcerned by its presence. Michael Brooke
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Complete film (1:16)
