The Brian Trenerry Archive

The delightful, nostalgia-inducing Brian Trennery collection is a treasure trove of fleeting everyday moments from the 20s through to the 60s. Rare and unique home movies and documentary footage, from the UK and Europe, are offered up online exclusively through Bridgeman Footage.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho

Fishermen catch salmon and row back to shore, Scotland c.1940 / Brian Trenerry Archive / Bridgeman Footage

The Brian Trenerry Archive depicts 20th-century working Britain in all its industrial glory, from locomotive construction in the 60s to hop picking in Kent, c.1930. Watch Scotsmen fish for salmon in the ‘40s, and East-end Londoners sell it at Billingsgate Market in the ‘30s.

Learn how Lancashire built ships, planes, trains and turbines, weaved cotton, produced coal and cables, ran paper, iron and steel mills, made hats, radios, windows… phew, we’re tired just thinking about it!

It’s off to work we go

London Underground c.1960 – Piccadilly Circus Station / Piccadilly Line / Brian Trenerry Archive / Bridgeman Footage

Compare the notorious London rush hour, with its suited city workers battling through the Underground, in the 1930s and 1960s – not too dissimilar to nowadays!

And most special of all is this rare footage of the YMCA Tea Cars of WWII, that tirelessly travelled the country boosting the morale of allied troops by handing out hot mugs of tea. The speed with which the Australian soldiers run to the visiting tea car is testament to the cheering powers of the Great British cuppa!

A leisurely Pace

London Zoo c.1950 – Parrot, flamingos, sleeping lion, camel and llama rides, giraffes / Brian Trenerry Archive / Bridgeman Footage

All work and no play makes Bridgeman Footage a dull archive. Thankfully we can prove that Britons play as hard as they work, as this very happy 1950s house party illustrates. See a classic English fairground get merrily underway in 1951, the chic and the eccentric attend a 1940s Easter Parade, and the much-loved London Zoo, alive and kicking in 1950, featuring the world famous star attraction, Brumas, the first baby polar to be raised in the UK.

Watch athletic competitions and traditional dancing in 1930s Scotland, while 1940s and ‘50s motor geeks show off their vintage vehicles at various rallies, including one in Hyde Park attended by BBC commentator Richard Dimbleby.

On the Road

Places and people of the Netherlands, 1930s / Brian Trenerry Archive / Bridgeman Footage

The Brian Trenerry archive is also home to a delightful collection of travelogues, from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Most heavily documented is London, from its bright city lights to its regal parks and gardens.

Visit the well-known markets of Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane in 1963, and take a tour of the city’s landmarks and streets through the decades.

The archive ventures out further, to Scotland and Northern Ireland in the 40s, with its beautiful Antrim Coast and theatrical Giant’s Causeway. Discover the traditions of 1930s Netherlands or embark on a road trip from Dover via France, through Italy and into Spain, ending with a drink from a fountain in old Seville.

Find out More

Browse the full Brian Trenerry Archive, which is online exclusively with Bridgeman Footage and available to license.

If you need help with your project, we have expert researchers on hand to find the clips you need. Contact our Sales Team for more information.