Astonishingly rare poster from the very earliest days of British Film. Posters like this were displayed outside temporary ‘cinemas’ (usually theatres) in the 1900s, where travelling projectionists showed a selection of short films to enthralled audiences. This example includes a blank space for the insertion of show times/tiles, below an image of a terrified film-goer unnerved by the reality of an on-screen steam locomotive – a nod to stories of contemporary Parisian audiences fleeing theatres in response to similar scenes. The poster has been fully conserved and laid on Japan backing for preservation. A museum quality piece.