Boers Bringing in British Prisoners | 1900 | Drama, War

Title: Boers Bringing in British Prisoners | 1900 | Drama, War Director: James H. White Studio: Edison Manufacturing Company Release Date: April 1900 Runtime: 1 Format: Silent, black-and-white; 75 ft Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Drama, War --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Procession comes into view 00:00:15 Mounted Boers lead the column 00:00:35 Prisoners pass the camera 00:00:55 Column recedes from view --- Summary: This short wartime reenactment depicts captured British soldiers being escorted to the rear by mounted Boer fighters during the Second Boer War. From a fixed camera position, the procession advances toward and past the lens, emphasizing uniforms, movement, and the contrast between victors and vanquished. The film functions as a topical scene meant to evoke contemporary events for audiences in 1900, presenting a stylized impression of battlefield aftermath rather than reportage. --- Background: Produced as part of Edison’s “Briton and Boer” series responding to public interest in the Second Boer War, the picture was staged in the Orange Mountains near West Orange, New Jersey, using local troops as performers. Photographed from a single camera position and released in April 1900 by the Edison Manufacturing Company, it exemplifies early American war-themed reenactments made for commercial exhibition. --- Trivia: The title references a mixed group of British units—such as Gordon Highlanders, Irish Fusiliers, and English Lancers—shown under Boer guard. The film’s length was about 75 feet of 35mm footage, typical of Edison shorts of the period, yielding roughly a one-minute screen time. Location records identify the Orange Mountains in New Jersey, near the Edison studio in West Orange, as the filming site. It appeared alongside companion Boer War subjects in Edison’s “Briton and Boer” series, including Battle of Mafeking, Charge of Boer Cavalry, and Capture of Boer Battery by British. The production was cataloged with an April 14, 1900 copyright entry by Thomas A. Edison, indicating contemporary distribution through Edison’s network. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: April 1900 Original Studio / Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Company Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: BoerWar SilentFilm PublicDomain Edison JamesHWhite EarlyCinema 1900 FilmHistory This video was sourced from Internet Archive. Originally uploaded by James H. White. https://archive.org/details/boers-bringing-in-british-prisoners-1900-directed-by-james-h.-white