Kinemacolor movie of the 1911 Durbar (1 Viewer)

WOW that is amazing Michel. It is a shame we shall probably never see such grandeur again.
 
Mardasson said:
Hi,

Has someone already posted this link ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMYSMH-eMkU

This is an original movie from the 1911 Durbar depicting the Royal Review.

Other movies were made but they seemed to have been lost (a pity).
Details of the contents can be found at http://www.charlesurban.com/durbar.htm. When you'll see what was in the other parts of the films you'll cry they are lost.

Michel
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Hi Michel,

To the best of my knowledge, no one has posted a link to this movie. What a shame that so many reels of it have been lost. What remains, however, is extremely interesting and gives just a hint of the grandeur of the event. While I am saddened at the loss of the other reels, I am pleased we are able to get a glimpse of the Royal Review. Often, I have wondered why no manufacturer has created a line of figures depicting the 1911 Durbar.

I am also struck with the thought that as grand as the 1911 Durbar was, the 1903 Durbar was much more spectacular. It is too bad that we do not have better visual records of both events.

Thanks for posting the link. I have very much enjoyed viewing what remains of the original movie.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
Hello Pat,

The 1903 Durbar was more interesting because they had an Elephant parade which they did not have in 1911 :) and without elephants any Durbar diorama would be quite ordinary and "boring"...

More then one reel of 1911 Durbar survived, I know at least about two others...

A film was made about 1903 parade and it was 2.5 hours long but only one episode was found so far.... however there are many photos of this event...

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat,

The 1903 Durbar was more interesting because they had an Elephant parade which they did not have in 1911 :) and without elephants any Durbar diorama would be quite ordinary and "boring"...

More then one reel of 1911 Durbar survived, I know at least about two others...

A film was made about 1903 parade and it was 2.5 hours long but only one episode was found so far.... however there are many photos of this event...

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Is there any link of which you are aware that might lead me to the two other existing reels of the 1911 Durbar? I would be very interested in viewing them.

Do you have any information regarding what appears in the film episode of the 1903 Durbar? I would love to learn more about it.

I am aware that many photographs of the 1903 Durbar exist. I have collected a few of them and I am very appreciative of their existence. It is interesting to compare the photographs of the actual elephants with the Durbar Elephant figures produced by the various manufacturers. Without a doubt, the elephants were extremely elegant.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
Hello Pat,

I will check for the Durbar links and will post them here if found.
There are a couple books about 1903 Durban but they are expensive and are not easy to find.

The most accurate elephants are made by Beau Gest (Ana does a lot of research) and by another small company... I personally do not like Britains elephants and Marlborough elephants are not accurate at all maybe with exception of the REWA set.

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat,

I will check for the Durbar links and will post them here if found.
There are a couple books about 1903 Durban but they are expensive and are not easy to find.

The most accurate elephants are made by Beau Gest (Ana does a lot of research) and by another small company... I personally do not like Britains elephants and Marlborough elephants are not accurate at all maybe with exception of the REWA set.

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Thanks for checking the Durbar links. I hope you are successful in finding some.

I am aware of many of the books concerning the 1903 Durbar and I am fortunate to have copies of Menpes' book and Wheeler's book. They are excellent!

I fully agree with you about the Beau Geste Elephants. They are grand and Ana does an outstanding job of reserarching them. Usually, she posts on her website copies of the original photos on which she bases her elephants. If you have any of her elephants, I would enjoy viewing photos of them!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
Hello Pat

See below a link to 15 min Durbar movie by British Pathe.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51998

and 43 sec movie from an old Russian documentary which title is " Coronation of King George V in India"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj3mSK5DPkM

I plan to build a Durbar diorama based on actual historic data from books, photographs and movies. No elephants yet, all (13!) Ana's elephants could be seen at her web site :)

Enjoy

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat

See below a link to 15 min Durbar movie by British Pathe.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51998

and 43 sec movie from an old Russian documentary which title is " Coronation of King George V in India"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj3mSK5DPkM

I plan to build a Durbar diorama based on actual historic data from books, photographs and movies. No elephants yet, all (13!) Ana's elephants could be seen at her web site :)

Enjoy

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Thanks so much for the links! The 15 minute movie is outstanding! I had never seen it and I am so glad you provided me the opportunity to view it. It is amazing and it demostrates what an enormous effort of planning, coordination, and implimentation was required to produce the event(s).

Good luck with your Durbar diorama. I shall be looking forward to photos of your work. Is it correct to assume you will primarily use the Beau Geste figures in your diorama? I am certain your final product will be terrific!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
wadepat said:
Good luck with your Durbar diorama. I shall be looking forward to photos of your work. Is it correct to assume you will primarily use the Beau Geste figures in your diorama? I am certain your final product will be terrific!

Pat :)
Click to expand...

Hi Pat, I am glad you liked it: it took some time for me to find this link :)

I am planning to create the Elephant Parade diorama first with a help of my friend who is 1903 Delhi Durbar expert , the parade had only 6 elephants in it and I will use two elephants made by Beau Geste...

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat

See below a link to 15 min Durbar movie by British Pathe.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51998

and 43 sec movie from an old Russian documentary which title is " Coronation of King George V in India"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj3mSK5DPkM

I plan to build a Durbar diorama based on actual historic data from books, photographs and movies. No elephants yet, all (13!) Ana's elephants could be seen at her web site :)

Enjoy

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,
Many thanks for the links !
Michel
 
boerboy said:
Hi Pat, I am glad you liked it: it took some time for me to find this link :)

I am planning to create the Elephant Parade diorama first with a help of my friend who is 1903 Delhi Durbar expert , the parade had only 6 elephants in it and I will use two elephants made by Beau Geste...

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Your statement regarding the Elephant Parade including only six elephants has confused me. Let me explain.

My references indicate that there were three large parades conducted during the 1903 Durbar. The first parade conducted on December 29, 1902 and known as the Arrival Parade, included a total of 222 greatly adorned elephants. I usually think of this parade when someone mentions "the Elephant Parade." Obviously, more than six elephants were included in this activity.

The second parade was conducted on January 7, 1903 and is usually referenced as the Retainers' Parade. To quote Stephen Wheeler from his book, The History of the Delhi Coronation Durbar (page 197):

"...two thousand horsemen and one thousand five hundred marched..., with 160 elephants and about the same number of camels."

The final parade, known as the Military Review, was conducted on January 8, 1903. This parade included 29,616 men. Artillery was included in the parade and was drawn by teams of horses and bullocks (30-pounders were drawn by horse teams, 5-inch guns were drawn by teams of 12 bullocks, 6-inch guns were drawn by teams of 18 bullocks). While I find no references to teams of elephants drawing guns, I have been lead to believe there were some.

Obviously, I am unaware of any parade that only included six elephants. Consequently, I would greatly enjoy receiving more information regarding the event to which you refer. Knowing my knowledge of the 1903 Durbar is not comprehensive, I am always thirsty for more information. Any information with which you can provide me regarding the "elephant parade" to which you refer will be greatly appreciated and very much enjoyed!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
I to would be interested in more information as I am new to the whole Durbar experience. I think 6 elephants wouldn't really provide much of the pomp and grandeur that the British are known for, although it certainly would be easier on the collecting wallet :D

Many thanks for the information you have provided us with thus far.


Scott
 
Last edited:
Hello Pat,

Sorry about a confusion it was not intentional :) what I really wanted to say "The parade had 6 elephant (currently available to me)"....in other words: other 222-6= 216 elephants for this parade have not been made yet neither by Beau Geste nor by other manufacturers at best of my knowledge ....so I can not use them....

I would not use most of Marlborough made pieces (including elephants) because most of them are not accurate, from my point of view...

Based on my observation most Durbar collectors ( no offense), just put all Durbar models they can get on display and call it 1903 Durbar. It might look very nice but it will not work for me.

I think that you should plan before you build a diorama and spent big bucks.
A diorama should be a snapshot in time and space, at least this is my humble opinion. The Wheeler's book can help to answer some important questions: who participated in parade and what was the parade order . Then you need to find out : How did they look like (e.g. regiments, elephants etc.)?

Then you can research what is available on the market and decide what pieces you want to commission? and how much do you want to spend on your project .. I guess based on $600 per elephant price tag, it's an important question :)

Six elephant (currently available to me) which participated in "Arrival parade" will be "anchors" on my display ... when other elephants (from this parade) are available on the market I will include some of them , but would never mix together the elephants and regiments from different Durbar parades.

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat,

Sorry about a confusion it was not intentional :) what I really wanted to say "The parade had 6 elephant (currently available to me)"....in other words: other 222-6= 216 elephants for this parade have not been made yet neither by Beau Geste nor by other manufacturers at best of my knowledge ....so I can not use them....

I would not use most of Marlborough made pieces (including elephants) because most of them are not accurate, from my point of view...

Based on my observation most Durbar collectors ( no offense), just put all Durbar models they can get on display and call it 1903 Durbar. It might look very nice but it will not work for me.

I think that you should plan before you build a diorama and spent big bucks.
A diorama should be a snapshot in time and space, at least this is my humble opinion. The Wheeler's book can help to answer some important questions: who participated in parade and what was the parade order . Then you need to find out : How did they look like (e.g. regiments, elephants etc.)?

Then you can research what is available on the market and decide what pieces you want to commission? and how much do you want to spend on your project .. I guess based on $600 per elephant price tag, it's an important question :)

Six elephant (currently available to me) which participated in "Arrival parade" will be "anchors" on my display ... when other elephants (from this parade) are available on the market I will include some of them , but would never mix together the elephants and regiments from different Durbar parades.

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Thanks for the clarification! I was searching all my resources to identify the "mystery" parade. I am relieved I have not overlooked a major event.

I understand many collectors blend the Durbar figures made by the various manufacturers. The only two manufacturers I blend are the Britains Glossy range and the Marlborough sets. I do this because they are similar in scale, sculpting, and painting. My Beau Geste display (1903 Durbar) and my Hocker display (1877 Durbar) are stand alone displays.

In order to further my knowledge, I would like to ask you another question. If I correctly understand your discussion of the "six elephants available to me," they are all Beau Geste Elephants. As I review the Beau Geste Durbar offerings, I count nine elephants that seemingly would have appeared in the Arrival Parade. These nine elephants are:

BG 087 - Patiala Elephant
BG100 - Narsinhgharh Elephant
BG142 - Elephant of the Maharajah of Sikkim
BG190 - Elephant of the Maharajah of Alwar
BG200 - Travancore Elephant
BG201 - Kashmir Elephant
BG215 - Indore Elephant
BG205 - Jaipur Elephant
BG274 - Gwalior Elephant

Is it correct to assume that three of the above elephants did not participate in the Arrival Parade, but did participate in one of the other major parades? If so, do you know which three did not participate in the Arrival Parade and in what parades these three elephants appeared? This information is extremely important for the collector who wants to plan a correct display.

I applaud your plan not to mix elephants and regiments from different parades. And,...yes,...at $600+ per elephant, the decision of which elephants to include in your diorama is most important. Your goals and your project sound very exciting and I hope you will post pictures of it as you construct it. Please keep us informed of your progress!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
thebritfarmer said:
I to would be interested in more information as I am new to the whole Durbar experience. I think 6 elephants wouldn't really provide much of the pomp and grandeur that the British are known for, although it certainly would be easier on the collecting wallet :D

Many thanks for the information you have provided us with thus far.


Scott
Click to expand...

Hi Scott,

I am excited you have taken the plunge into the Durbar. Learning about the event(s) is a never ending, but exciting, process. The more you learn about the 1903 Durbar, the more impressive it becomes. While the toy soldier makers focus on the Parade figures, there were all sorts of other events included in the celebration. There were athletic contests, lectures, balls, banquets, etc., etc., etc. The planning and preparations required to successfully implement the Durbar are almost beyond comprehension. I welcome you to the experience of the Durbar and I warn you that learning about it might easily become a passion!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat ;)
 
Hello Pat,

I just double checked my charts. My bad. You are right: all 9 BG elephants will go on "the elephant parade + 5 others I will get privately from another source. The diorama will not more then 12 feet long.
I think 3 or 4 horse driven carriages will go in the end of parade.
BTW at best of my knowledge actual elephant parade order was not exactly the same as described in the Wheeler's book, it was slightly changed in the course of several events that had occurred just before this parade, but I am going to speculate about it now :)

Al
 
boerboy said:
Hello Pat,

I just double checked my charts. My bad. You are right: all 9 BG elephants will go on "the elephant parade + 5 others I will get privately from another source. The diorama will not more then 12 feet long.
I think 3 or 4 horse driven carriages will go in the end of parade.
BTW at best of my knowledge actual elephant parade order was not exactly the same as described in the Wheeler's book, it was slightly changed in the course of several events that had occurred just before this parade, but I am going to speculate about it now :)

Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

Whew! What a relief! I am glad to know the elephants I listed were all participating in the Arrival Parade. Now, you can start saving for even more Beau Geste elephants! :D Knowing your expense for purchasing the additional elephants will significantly increase you budget, believe me when I say, "I know your pain!" I will be most interested to see the horse driven carriages you include in the diorama. I think they will make an excellent addition to the scene and the atmosphere you will be building.

It is certainly possible that the parade order was changed due to necessary last minute adjustments. If you find data that corrects the parade order listed by Wheeler, I hope you will share it. I would most certainly include it in my Durbar files.

I think a 12 foot diorama will be spectacular. I wish you every success with it and I look forward to viewing it when you are ready to share it.

Thanks for responding so kindly to my posts. You have been most helpful.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
Thank you, Pat
I will surely share all info I have and post the pictures when a diorama is at least 50% ready.
Al
 
boerboy said:
Thank you, Pat
I will surely share all info I have and post the pictures when a diorama is at least 50% ready.
Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,

I shall eagerly look forward to your pictures! Best of luck with your project!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat :)
 
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