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Screevers on Film

In the back of beyond, on the other side of the world, appeared an advert in a local newspaper: THE NEW LIVING LONDON; The Pictorial Sensation of the Year. For three nights only, the greatest and most elaborate pictorial history of the world’s metropolis ever presented; 42 LIVING PICTURES (movies to you and me!)

“Bring your friends and be merry”

This was of course an early cinematography presentation of London, England; shown at The Lyceum Picture Theatre, in the remote and almost unknown town of Wanganui, New Zealand. The showing was on the 26th September 1910; the theatre advert appeared in the Wanganui Chronicle on the 24th Sept.

Original advert for LIVING LONDON: published 24th Sept. 1910

Original advert for LIVING LONDON: published 24th Sept. 1910

The interest from a pavement art point-of-view is that one of these 42 ‘living pictures’ featured a London pavement artist, and to my knowledge is one of the earliest ‘recorded’ moving image films of a pavement artist at work. The film itself could date from around the turn of the century, about the 1890’s.

I have no idea if this film still exists or has been destroyed. But one thing is certain…..If I do manage to track it down…..you will see it here first: WATCH THIS SPACE. ;-)

Written and researched by Philip Battle.

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