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2/2/1901: Queen Victoria's Funeral
The death of Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight on 22nd January 1901 brought to an end a reign that had lasted for nearly 64 years, the longest in British history, and was greeted with great mourning by the British people. Her funeral was held on 2nd February and the streets were lined with faithful subjects anxious to catch a glimpse of their monarch's final journey. Also present were a number of cameramen, ready not only to capture the poignant end of an era for posterity, but also to turn the event into a profit for their organisations. They knew that worldwide demand for film of the Queen's funeral would be massive. One of the major beneficiaries was Cecil Hepworth, who positioned three cameras along the route taken by the procession. Hepworth himself manned one of the cameras, positioning himself inside the railings of Grosvenor Gardens opposite Victoria station. As the procession, headed by the new King, Edward VII, approached, Hepworth began to crank his camera, and was horrified by the intrusion on the stately silence made by the noise of his contraption. 'If I could have had my dearest wish,' he later recalled, 'then the ground would certainly have opened at my feet and swallowed me and my beastly machine.'
However, the noise of the camera attracted the attention of Edward, and he halted the procession for a moment so that a 'cinematograph record' of the procession could be preserved for posterity.
Filming of the procession was only the beginning of a tortuous period of toil for Hepworth. In addition to Hepwix's own orders for the film, A. C. Bromhead, the UK agent for Léon Gaumont, had acquired a huge number of orders. Returning to their studios at Walton-on-Thames, Hepworth and his co-workers worked through that night, the following day and the following night in a frantic effort to meet demand - only to discover early on the second morning that most of the film stock had turned milky-white during the drying process. When they informed Bromhead of this disaster he told them to print them again - and to send him the spoiled film anyway. Hepworth and his workmates worked for eight days and nights with only nine hours off for food and sleep until all orders were met – but, in terms of the enhanced reputation earned thanks to the quality of their film, the hard work would prove to be worthwhile.
Catalogue Description of One of Hepworth's Films
This photograph was taken from such close quarters that everyone who takes part appears life-size and has his portrait faithfully recorded. A very remarkable feature about it is the splendid portrait which it includes of the King, the German Emperor and the Duke of Connaught. They are following close behind the gun-carriage which turns the corner right in front of the camera, so that it appears to fill the entire view. The King holds up his hand to stay the further portion of the procession for a while to allow more room for the earlier part, and while he and his companions rein up in the centre of the view, he leans over and talks to first one and then the other. The result is a most delightful group of the three august personages.
A clip of one of the films can be viewed here.
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