The Rolling Stones have announced that they will be returning to Hyde Park in the summer for the first time in 44 years. The last time they performed there it was 1969, and Pathé’s coverage of the concert can be viewed here.
Tensions between North Korea and its Southern neighbour continue. British Pathé footage of the Korean War may be of relevance.
UK now made up of 7 classes
New research has revealed that the “working”, “middle”, and “upper class” model of British society is no longer adequate and that in fact there are 7 classes in Britain today. The British Pathé archive highlights class differences during the Twentieth Century. Some of the most interesting films can be viewed here.
Today: It is 45 years since the great civil rights activist Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. The British Pathé newsreel covering his death is here.
The 2013 Grand National will be held this weekend. British Pathé has coverage of many Grand Nationals from as early as 1919, including Foinavon’s famous victory in 1967. Explore the collection via this link.
“That’s all very well, but what has the Pathé archive got for ME?”
It can be tempting to think of the British Pathé archive as being only of interest to those with a passion for the history of the Twentieth Century. After all, the bulk of the footage comes from around 1914 to 1969 – the earliest clip in the archive is from 1895 (New Blacksmith Shop) with the most recent material contained within a BBC/British Pathé co-production covering the collapse of Enron in 2006 – but there is in fact plenty for those with a preference for other historical periods, or those who have specialist interests, to explore. The Pathé archive isn’t all about the Queen and British politics.
An obvious starting place for those with an interest in history prior to the Twentieth Century, is the archive relating to Ancient Egypt. We have footage of Howard Carter in front of the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as shots of the treasures found within. (Visit our Tutankhamun collection here.)
Howard Carter at the tomb of Tutankhamun.
But as well as that famous pharoah and his discoverer, our extensive archaeology archive (click here) contains coverage from all parts of the world. You’ll be able to see Tudor and Roman Britain excavations, tour Pompeii, the Middle East, and dive the oceans to explore shipwrecks.
It’s true that none of these clips are necessarily going to help you study these periods (unless you want to look at how they were portrayed in the Twentieth Century), but they are surely of interest. What Egyptologist wouldn’t marvel at seeing Carter at the tomb, or the glistening treasures on display?
There’s also stuff for people who don’t even like history (if such people exist). Here we present just a few ideas for exploring the archive for those with specialist interests.
A still from the series Secrets of Nature.
Fascinated by science, animals, or insects? Try the classic Secrets of Nature – it covers the amazing life-cycles of plants, via some stunning microscope photography, as well as detailing the lives of many species of animals, birds, and insects.
Haven’t travelled enough? Take the cheap option and travel the world through British Pathé’s collection of travelogues. Escape the humdrum of everyday life with these clips (for the most part in colour) of numerous sites – from the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Rome, and Thebes, to the culturally rich capitals of Paris and Moscow, to the childish delights of Disneyland in sunny California.
Like animation? See Jerry the Troublesome Tyke, a classic animated series from the silent era, addictive due to its immense charm and wealth of humour.
What about music? We’ve got the Rolling Stones! Or visit our Beatlemania archive.
The Power of Nature.
Interested in the power of nature? Watch volcanoes explode, the earth shake, and rocks tumble in this collection.
Always wanted to be an astronaut? Rewatch the moon landings or other significant events from the Space Race in our collection.
Or just want to pass the time with some wacky stuff? We’ve got a collection of crazy inventions, or just try searching for something. The still below is from our “Robot Boy” video, which has been popular recently. We found it by accident when looking for something else.
So search the archive for hidden gems at www.britishpathe.com. There’s 90,000 clips with something for everyone! Thought of some topics we’ve missed? Leave us a comment below. Happy searching!
Here in the archive it’s extreme sports programs like Blood, Sweat and Gears one day, then the Charles Dickens Fellowship the next. There’s no knowing which groups and TV channels are going to ring up in search of particular footage, apart from keeping an attentive eye on the news and a trusty calendar of historical events.
We were excited to have a phone call recently from The Rolling Stones’ official moviemaking team of late, looking for rare clips of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the boys performing in the early 1970s.
‘Stones In Exile’ is a new rockumentary about the recording of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 double LP ‘Exile’, thought by many to be the greatest Rolling Stones album.
Two British Pathé clips appear in the film, both from a gig at the Saville Theatre in London. This was the period when Mick Taylor joined Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman in the band. In the first clip we see The Rolling Stones performing their historic hit Satisfaction. There’s a link below so that you easily find this performance in the British Pathé film archive.
It is the second clip that we are more interested in though – incredibly rare unused and unissued material of Mick Jagger and his bandmates backstage, and recorded from the wings of the Saville’s stage.
Although these are the two clips that interested the makers of Stones In Exile, there are another 10 Rolling Stones videos in the archive, including the Rolling Stones arriving in Sydney, fans screaming and more live performances. See more Rolling Stones archive footage here.
Here in the archive it’s extreme sports programs like 
British Pathé 
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