In 1926 Claude Friese-Greene shot some of the first-ever colour film footage around London, capturing everyday life.
Friese-Greene’s technique - innovated by his father and called Biocolour - captures London in striking detail, as if putting the whole city in a time capsule. The people pass before us like ghosts.
Biocolour produced the illusion of true colour by exposing each alternate frame of ordinary black-and-white film stock through a two different coloured filters. Each alternate frame of the monochrome print was then stained red or green. Although the projection of Biocolour prints did provide a tolerable illusion of true colour, it suffered from noticeable flickering and red-and-green fringing when the subject was in rapid motion. In an attempt to overcome the colour fringing problem, a faster-than-usual frame rate was used.
Claude, born Claude Harrison Greene was the son of colour film pioneer, William Friese-Greene.
After William’s death in 1921, Claude Friese-Greene continued to develop the Biocolour system during the 1920s and renamed the process Friese-Greene Natural Colour. Claude was cinematographer on more than 60 films from 1923 to 1943.
The British Film Institute used computer enhancement to reduce the flickering effect of the original Biocolour and bring us this striking rare film which transports us back through time.
Note: Original Vimeo video stated the date as 1927 but footage dates from 1926.
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence
London (1926)
vimeo
All Hallows Staining All Hallows Staining was a church located at the junction of Mark Lane and Dunster Court. London (1926) In 1926 Claude Friese-Greene shot some of the first-ever colour film footage around London, capturing everyday life. St Gabriel Fenchurch St Gabriel Fenchurch (or Fen Church) was a parish church in the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire and not rebuilt. St James Garlickhythe James Garlickhythe is a Church of England parish church in Vintry ward of the City of London, nicknamed "˜Wren’s lantern" owing to its profusion of windows. St Magnus-the-Martyr St Magnus the Martyr church is dedicated to St Magnus the Martyr, earl of Orkney, who died on 16 April 1116. St Michael Queenhithe St. Michael Queenhithe was a church in the City of London located in what is now Upper Thames Street. St Mildred, Bread Street The church of St Mildred, Bread Street, stood on the east side of Bread Street in the Bread Street Ward of the City of London. St Thomas the Apostle St Thomas the Apostle was a parish church in Knightrider Street in the City of London. The Steelyard The Steelyard was the main trading base (kontor) of the Hanseatic League in London during 15th and 16th centuries. Walbrook Wharf Walbrook Wharf is an operating freight wharf located in the City of London adjacent to Cannon Street station. Abchurch Yard, EC4N First mentioned in 1732, Abchurch Yard was built on the St Mary Abchurch churchyard. Adelaide House, EC3R Adelaide House is a Grade II listed Art Deco office building in the City of London. Anchor Terrace, SE1 The streetscape of Anchor Terrace largely involves small late 18th century residential properties Bank End, SE1 Bank End is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Bankside, SE1 Bankside is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Beer Lane, EC3R Beer Lane ran from the east end of Great Tower Street to Lower Thames Street. Budge Row, EC4N Budge Row lies off the north side of Cannon Street, about 80 yards west of the main line station. Bush Lane, EC4R Bush Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area. Cannon Street, EC4N Cannon Street runs nearly parallel with the River Thames, about 250 metres north of it, in the south of the City of London. Cannon Street, EC4R Cannon Street follows the route of a riverside path that ran along the Thames. Clink Street, SE1 Clink Street is best known as the historic location of the Clink Prison. Cloak Lane, EC4N Cloak Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area. College Hill, EC4R College Hill is named after Sir Richard Whittington’s college, set up here in the early 1400s. Cottons Lane, SE1 Cottons Lane is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Cousin Lane, EC4R Cousin Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area. Dowgate Hill, EC4R Dowgate Hill is a continuation of Walbrook along the west side of Cannon Street Station, leading to Dowgate Dock. Duke St Hill, SE1 Duke St Hill is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Eastcheap, EC3R Eastcheap is the western continuation of Great Tower Street towards the Monument junction. George Yard, EC3V George Yard is one of the streets of London in the EC3V postal area. Gracechurch Street, EC3V Gracechurch Street is in the heart of Roman Londinium - it runs directly over the site of the basilica and forum. Great Tower Street, EC3R Great Tower Street, originally known just as Tower Street, forms an eastern continuation of Eastcheap. Harp Lane, EC3R Harp Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area. Hart Street, EC3R Hart Street is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area. Hays Lane, SE1 Hays Lane is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Idol Lane, EC3R Idol Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area. Lime Street, EC3M Lime Street is one of the streets of London in the EC3M postal area. Lombard Court, EC3V Lombard Court is a small street between Gracechurch Street and Clements Lane in the heart of London’s financial district. Lovat Lane, EC3R Lovat Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area. Mark Lane, EC3R Mark Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area. Martin Lane, EC4N Martin Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area. Morgans Lane, SE1 Morgans Lane is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Park Street, SE1 Park Street is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Plantation Place, EC3R Plantation Place takes its name from a previous Plantation House, once the recognised centre of the tea trade. Queen Street, EC4R Queen Street is a street in the City of London which runs between Upper Thames Street and Cheapside. Queenhithe, EC4V Queenhithe is a small and ancient ward of the City of London, situated by the River Thames and a minor street. Rood Lane, EC3M Rood Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC3M postal area. Rose Alley, SE1 Rose Alley is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Soho Wharf, SE1 Soho Wharf is one of the streets of London in the SE1 postal area. Swan Lane, EC4R Swan Lane is one of the streets of London in the EC4R postal area. Talbot Court, EC3V Talbot Court was next to the Talbot Inn until the Great Fire of London. Tower Place, EC3R Tower Place is one of the streets of London in the EC3R postal area.
The City of London constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the conurbation has since grown far beyond its borders.As the City's boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, it is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of Greater London, though it remains a notable part of central London. It holds city status in its own right and is also a separate ceremonial county.
It is widely referred to as 'The City' (often written on maps as
City and differentiated from the phrase 'the city of London') or 'the Square Mile' as it is 1.12 square miles in area. These terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which continues a notable history of being largely based in the City.
The local authority for the City, the City of London Corporation, is unique in the UK and has some unusual responsibilities for a local council, such as being the police authority. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's boundaries. The Corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, an office separate from (and much older than) the Mayor of London.
The City is a major business and financial centre, ranking as the world's leading centre of global finance. Throughout the 19th century, the City was the world's primary business centre, and continues to be a major meeting point for businesses.
The City had a resident population of about 7000 in 2011 but over 300,000 people commute to it and work there, mainly in the financial services sector. The legal profession forms a major component of the northern and western sides of the City - especially in the Temple and Chancery Lane areas where the Inns of Court are located, of which two—Inner Temple and Middle Temple - fall within the City of London boundary.
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