Reel 2. Unedited material. London. C/U of a man with pigeons on his arm, presumably in front of St Paul's Cathedral. He holds food in his mouth and the pigeons peck at it. Rooftops and balconies around St Paul's. M/S of three bell ringers pulling on ropes. C/U of two other bell ringers. C/U of wreaths on the ground in front of a plaque. Closer view of the plaque - could be commemorating the life of Viscount Wolseley. C/U of an etching of St Paul's Cathedral without its famous dome. Various designs for the architecture. C/Us of wreaths. More shots of the bell ringers, wreaths, views of the Cathedral, architectural drawings. C/U of a large book with a metal cover. It is opened and pages are turned (this section decomposing. C/U of a clergyman in a library. Man displays a metal cross to the camera. A miniature roman archway is on display in the library. M/S of courtyard of the Cathedral. C/U of one of the clergymen taking a book down from the library shelves. L/S of the Cathedral seen from the end of a busy street. Camera tilts down to show traffic and pedestrians. M/S of some kind of ornate carriage on display in the Cathedral - possibly a royal carriage. C/U of a sculpture of the head of William Bede Dalley (? hard to read). Interior of the Cathedral - various shots of the monuments to the dead, sculptures, etc. Two men work on replastering a wall (? hard to see exactly what they are doing). A strange machine with two handles is operated. L/S of lots of men working on a wooden framework. Interior. Architectural etchings. Various sculptures and religious items are shown. M/S of a group of sea cadets (?) shuffles through the Cathedral. They are followed by a group of girl guides (?) or female sea scouts walking very strangely - fast and waddling. Some of the girls carry flags. Schoolboys crowd around the tomb of Horatio Nelson. Slightly older sea cadets file past the statue. Man stands in front of the Cathedral feeding a pigeon - a crowd is gathered. Other shots of a man feeding the pigeons and a woman trying to catch one. Various people feed the birds. Interior shots - various parts of the Cathedral. Choir boy and clergymen look at the architecture and dedications inside the Cathedral. Men work on some kind of scaffolding framework inside the Cathedral. Various shots of architecture. Clergyman in the library selects a book and takes it off the shelf. Shots of various parts of the Cathedral's architecture. C/U of a model of the Cathedral. Two clergymen look at the model. Various shots of statues, architecture, visitors, vicars. Groups of sea scouts and sea guides march past the tomb of Horatio Nelson. They don't seem to even look up as they pass. One woman lays a wreath at the base of the tomb. Bell ringer. M/S of man planing a piece of wood. Stonemason chipping away at a piece of stone. Wreath is laid by Horatio's tomb. Crowds surround the tomb. Camera pans across sea scouts marching in place. Two men look up at the model Roman archway. Two men at work in some kind of engine room - operating generators for the lights of the cathedral perhaps. Views of various parts of the Cathedral, statues, tombs etc. Plaque commemorating the life of Evelyn Wood. Tourists and visitors mill around inside the Cathedral. C/U of a religious artefact. It seems that the following material has been spliced on - whereas the earlier material dates from the 20s, this material dates from around 1937. Aerial shot of St Paul's. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother) comes down the steps of the Cathedral under a canopy. They step into a horse drawn carriage. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret also climb into the carriage. The royals wave from the carriage as they are driven along. View of the Cathedral from a distance. Various shots of London skyline and of the Cathedral. Bomb damage to the Cathedral (?). People inspect the rubble. Bomb damage to buildings around the Cathedral. Men crowd around a Mobile Canteen which has been presented by Malaya. Dome of St Paul's seen in the background behind bombed buildings. Good bomb damage footage. Various shots of St Paul's in fog (or underexposed?!) Note: decomposed sections of this film have been reprinted on safety stock and spliced into the nitrate negative. 90,000 historic films, all SEARCHABLE on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/britishpathe Join us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/britishpathe Tweet us @britishpathe FILM ID:1395.12

• published: 13 Apr 2014
• views: 2