Wigan Album

This is a still from a Mitchell and Kenyon film who were very early film makers, taken in Wigan’s Market Place in August 1902. This repeated a scene from the Lumiere brothers in France in 1895 who used similar stunts with a hosepipe and willing “victims” to create interest. It was shown in August at Wigan Town Hall and was part of a two hour film presentation called “Life in Wigan”. Another show including the “Hull Kingston Rovers v Wigan RL” match was exhibited by the Edisonograph at the Public Hall in Wigan in late October 1902. Typical cost of entry varied from 2 and a half new pence to 15 new pence.The match was played at Hull on October 25th, Wigan losing 8 - 0. The films always seemed to be shown very shortly after they had been made, I suppose to maintain interest.