A Day in the Hayfields (1904)

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Cecil Hepworth's enchantingly beautiful film captures the essence of an English midsummer and the hay harvest in a time before tractors. Probably filmed in the ancient water meadows of the Thames, somewhere near Hepworth's studio at Walton, it shows men cutting hay using a horse-powered reaper.
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[@44032]

Love the kids playing in the hay and waving goodbye to us, 112 years ago!

[@TheKahliff]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[@BIGT537]

I'm sat probably less than half a mile from that scene right now. All suburban sprawl, it's true we do lose something with progress.

[@johnlowdon5809]

Progress?

[@iainhughes6637]

Tristan woodford too much

[@MrGofarkyself]

John Lowdon - progress. Penicillin? Infant mortality decrease? Women’s suffrage? 40 hour work week? Social mobility?

[@ZJStrudwick]

@@MrGofarkyself Change is not something either totally good or totally bad... When comparing any historical eras, there are always some things comparitively worse and better too. I think what our friends meant to say is that there is a sense of peaceful simplicity which has been lost - medical science or politics have nothing to do with this! Things are never merely black and white (apart from old films like this of course!)

[@bigears4014]

I went past a area yesterday that was prime grain and potato growing land nearly level and good soil now virtually all under houses , I live in tasmania, this has happened just in the last 10 years

[@MrACOUSTICPETE]

The innocent ,carefree joy of children playing ! What could be more heart warming ?😘

[@elsab2710]

I grew up in the 50s. Apart from the clothing, I have experienced scenes like this. Not all that much had changed everywhere by then. I can still smell the hay. Good memories.

[@jonka1]

A few years ago we had a hayfield and our young grandchildren played just like this and had just as much fun. This is a lovely film showing a moment lost now in the silence of time.

[@valfletcher9285]

Enchanting and lovely. I can imagine how fresh and clean the air was too. Thank you for this little wonderful film.

[@richardb.roberts4649]

Much as I like the mod cons we have today there is something more special at watching those children and people and there simple lives all those years ago

[@comesahorseman]

Oh boy, I can remember working small hayfields like this, growing up on a small farm in New Hampshire. We did our work with a tractor, though. Hot, physical work but worth it. BTW, this hay was cut at a good stage, not too mature. 😄

[@menopausalbarbie7467]

I've just been watching the contractors getting in the hay from the fields around my house, what a difference a hundred or so years makes!

[@seaofmadness2622]

Thanks for sharing! Its so wonderful to see these films! My great grandma 👵 was 9 during this year! The same age as some of those adorable children playing in the hay!

[@RICHIE87622]

The first shot with the horses I think is a Massey Harris sythe/mower and the hay rake is maybe a bamford!! Those children are just great!!

[@JDemen82]

No one sitting all day playing video games, surfing the internet, keeping up with social media or having their heads glued to a television.

[@mrfriedchen888]

The children also had to work very early; There would not have been time for these things, if they had existed

[@animationlynx5054]

Bless them simple pleasures 😊

[@dovahkiintim3449]

@@animationlynx5054 with more than 50 hours intense work schedule every week just to survive. Good times indeed

[@animationlynx5054]

@@dovahkiintim3449 im refering to a previous comment about no gadgets , im sure they worked very hard but they knew no different

[@gratiaseia]

Of course because they haven't been invented yet.

[@mrs.schmenkman]

0:38 The appearance of the most forgotten tool of every farmer!! The Scotch Collie

[@bovinestool1681]

We are used to seeing people looking rather stern in photographs from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It's nice to see them behaving so naturally and enjoying themselves. With the children showing that you don't have to spend money to have fun. Something the children of the 21st Century could learn from.

[@velvetindigonight]

Lovely to see the children playing in the cut grass but nasty snide yank by the horse handler; all the horse appeared to be doing was going for a horse fly or some such which was bothering him/her. The ladder from hay waggon to hayrick ..... all I could think was health and safety!.............

[@musicloverlondon6070]

Yes, saw it too, at 2.46. Don't know anything about horse handling so I defer to those that do but that seemed rough and unnecessary.

[@sharonfleming2729]

Sad to think they all dead now but wat a beautiful video 😊

[@sivanandadas4761]

Love the kids...... Thanks for sharing vedio. Thankyou sir. Thanks god.

[@mrfriedchen888]

How long ago this is, incredible my grandma was born in 1901 and is long dead

[@mvannistelrooij9029]

It's not a day, it is the whole proces of make hay, it takes minus 3 days, mostly 5. Wonderful movie.

[@paulharris3149]

RIP to you all

[@user-pq7re8qo6s]

１９０４年代の映像🎥を見てると世界名作劇場を思い出すよ。

[@robnewman6101]

Wow.

[@oliverlegarde8966]

Wow this is a good video 😇

[@missasinenomine]

So terribly sad to see those poor children without TV or phones having to make do with messing around in the hay. (sarcastic).

[@ulisesdamian9064]

My great grandma was born this year! T_T

[@missasinenomine]

A sail down the river about 1:11.

[@carolynclitheroe3588]

Look at that new dangled technology… where will it ever end 😉

[@meirivieiradesouza1356]

You ❤ love childrens!..

[@apuuvah]

High-tech of the day...