Crufts 2013 begins today in Birmingham. Here’s footage of past competitions, from as early as 1926: http://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/crufts/order/oldestfirst

It’s a quiet day so we thought we’d share one of our favourite galleries - British Pathe’s Cutest Animals!
 
Still: A “bush baby”, a small nocturnal creature from Africa.

Animal Hospital: British Pathé filmed Graham Dangerfield at home in 1962 and visited his private zoo in Redbourn. Watch the film here.

Animal Hospital: British Pathé filmed Graham Dangerfield at home in 1962 and visited  his private zoo in Redbourn. Watch the film here.

Watch Topsy the Cat draw an abstract picture at home in Hertford in this 1961 film.

GALLERY: From chickens being wine tasters to horses diving off 60ft platforms, humans have always made animals do people things in the name of science or “entertainment”. Click here.

Click here to visit our gallery showing some of the shocking things that we’ve made animals do.

We’ve always made animals do things for science or “entertainment”.

GALLERY: Animals Do Shocking Things 

A dog parachutes in this still.

A very cruel and incredibly dangerous stunt whereby a girl rider sits on top of a horse and jumps 60ft in to water below. USA, 1923

Click here to visit our gallery showing some of the shocking things that we’ve made animals do for the sake of entertainment.

Our “Theatrical London” collection covers the capital’s theatres, television studios and film premieres.

http://www.britishpathe.com/workspaces/jhoyle/Theatrical-London-London/thumb

This still is of Bertram Mills’ circus, London (1962).

“That’s all very well, but what has the Pathé archive got for ME?”

It can be tempting to think of the British Pathé archive as being only of interest to those with a passion for the history of the Twentieth Century. After all, the bulk of the footage comes from around 1914 to 1969 - the earliest clip in the archive is from 1895 (New Blacksmith Shop) with the most recent material contained within a BBC/British Pathé co-production covering the collapse of Enron in 2006 - but there is in fact plenty for those with a preference for other historical periods, or those who have specialist interests, to explore. The Pathé archive isn’t all about the Queen and British politics.

An obvious starting place for those with an interest in history prior to the Twentieth Century, is the archive relating to Ancient Egypt. We have footage of Howard Carter in front of the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as shots of the treasures found within. (Visit our Tutankhamun collection here.)

Howard Carter at the tomb of Tutankhamun.

But as well as that famous pharoah and his discoverer, our extensive archaeology archive (click here) contains coverage from all parts of the world. You’ll be able to see Tudor and Roman Britain excavations, tour Pompeii, the Middle East, and dive the oceans to explore shipwrecks.

It’s true that none of these clips are necessarily going to help you study these periods (unless you want to look at how they were portrayed in the Twentieth Century), but they are surely of interest. What Egyptologist wouldn’t marvel at seeing Carter at the tomb, or the glistening treasures on display?

There’s also stuff for people who don’t even like history (if such people exist). Here we present just a few ideas for exploring the archive for those with specialist interests.

A still from the series Secrets of Nature.

Fascinated by science, animals, or insects? Try the classic Secrets of Nature – it covers the amazing life-cycles of plants, via some stunning microscope photography, as well as detailing the lives of many species of animals, birds, and insects.

Haven’t travelled enough? Take the cheap option and travel the world through British Pathé’s collection of travelogues. Escape the humdrum of everyday life with these clips (for the most part in colour) of numerous sites - from the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Rome, and Thebes, to the culturally rich capitals of Paris and Moscow, to the childish delights of Disneyland in sunny California.

Like animation? See Jerry the Troublesome Tyke, a classic animated series from the silent era, addictive due to its immense charm and wealth of humour.

What about music? We’ve got the Rolling Stones! Or visit our Beatlemania archive.

The Power of Nature.

Interested in the power of nature? Watch volcanoes explode, the earth shake, and rocks tumble in this collection.

Want to see an eclipse? Look at these: http://www.britishpathe.com/workspaces/show/jhoyle/hgG61kma/thumb

Always wanted to be an astronaut? Rewatch the moon landings or other significant events from the Space Race in our collection.

Or just want to pass the time with some wacky stuff? We’ve got a collection of crazy inventions, or just try searching for something. The still below is from our “Robot Boy” video, which has been popular recently. We found it by accident when looking for something else.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/robot-boy

So search the archive for hidden gems at www.britishpathe.com. There’s 90,000 clips with something for everyone! Thought of some topics we’ve missed? Leave us a comment. Happy searching!

Tiniest and Cutest Baby Monkey. The cutest little 5 week old monkey ‘Earthy’ who was abandoned by her mother. Awww. Filmed at Bristol Zoo.