Empire Pageant (1919)

Empire Day celebration and May Day; 1919. London. Opens with CU little girl with crown; sceptre; flowers; May Queen or similar. Procession other children in court costumes; carrying Queen s train slowly; crowd of other children watch. MS parade. Many people in costumes; some to do with war nurses; wounded soldier in wheelchair; Allies symbols. MS children lined up by church for parade. MS tiny girls carrying rings of white flowers. MS children dressed in costumes of foreign countries Japanese parasols; etc. boy military dress. (Glitch camera problem). MS girls dancing. Ponies pull cart with children etc. MS as men pull float through gate. MS costumed fife drum group. MS girls with rings of flowers again. Festival continues at park. MS row of children in black face; fuzzy wigs sitting on bench; bouncing up down playing tambourines in a racist stereotype. Queen trainbearers walk past tent; then past crowd behind fence; 2 girls with shorter trains follow. MS maypole dance. Good M