BFI

This is believed to be the Derby of 1895 filmed by Birt Acres for Robert Paul on 29 May 1895.

The original film copy suggests a very early production: it is not the 1896 or 1897 Derby, and there is a close finish between three horses as was the case in 1895 (1. Sir Visto, 2. Curzon, 3. Kirconnel).

The position and angle of the camera is in accordance with a photograph of Acres filming at Epsom on 29 May 1895. The jockeys' colours are indistinct, but one appears to bear the light hoops of Lord Rosebery (the winning owner).

A contemporary description of the film (given in John Barnes' The Beginnings of the Cinema in England) states: "Clearing the course; preliminary canter; race and crowd surging over the course".

The original print has Paul-type perforations, but is a reprint, possibly from 1896 when both Acres and Paul (working separately) were exhibiting the film. However, this copy was shot at a far slower speed than the 40fps one might expect for an 1895 Kinetoscope film, which casts some doubt on the identity of the NFTVA print.

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