Now newsreel archive British Pathé has opened these vaults to the public, uploading all 85,000 of its films to Youtube as a gift to the public.
The firm was an iconic part of British life from 1896 to 1976, when for some the dramatic black-and-white reports aired in cinemas would be their only source of news.
General manager Alastair White described the films as a 'treasure trove' and said: 'Whether you’re looking for coverage of the Royal Family, the Titanic, the destruction of the Hindenburg, or quirky stories about British pastimes, it’ll be there on our channel. You can lose yourself for hours.'
MailOnline has chosen 10 of the best videos from the vast collection - ranging from the horrors of the First and Second World War to when one of London's busiest junctions was saved from gridlock by a huge flyover.
The most bizarre, however, must be 'Captive in a Cave', showing the underground bunker in south east London in which 28-year-old Marjorie Jordan was kept prisoner for three months. The kidnapping was only discovered when a neighbour found a note hurled over the fence.
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Pathe logical
Pathe logical
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”