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This magnificent phantom ride vividly animates Southampton High Street at the
turn of the 20th Century. The archway of the medieval stone wall through which
the tram passes still stands today and will be instantly familiar to locals. As
the tram emerges from the archway, a long-dead world startlingly comes to life:
horse-drawn carriages meander slowly along the road, unfamiliar shops line the
street and people walk around in the late-Victorian fashions of the day.
The use of the phantom ride - a film shot from a moving vehicle - draws the
audience into the scene and creates a more involving viewing experience than
might have been achieved with a static camera. Even over a century later, it
still provides a powerful evocation of the now-ghostly world it recorded.
Christian Hayes
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Complete film (1:28)
