On June 21, 1898, HMS Albion sat on the launching ways at the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company at Blackwall. The launching that would soon end in tragedy was also one of the first disasters to be captured on film.

The Albion was the largest warship ever launched on the Thames and the first battleship built for the Royal Navy in the shipyard in more than a decade. An estimated 30,000 people packed into the yard ­to see the Duchess of York launch the Royal Navy’s latest ship-of-the-line. Local schoolchildren were given the day off to attend the launch. In the crowd were two crews operating motion picture cameras ready to film the launching.

After three swings the Duchess of York finally broke the bottle of champagne against the bow. When the ship finally slid into the river, it raised a wave that struck an overloaded, makeshift viewing stage, collapsing it, toppling the crowd into the river.

Thirty-eight people drowned – the youngest victim was just three months old, the oldest 64. Twelve of those killed were aged under 18. It remains one of the worst disasters in the history of the Thames.

Remarkably, the tragedy was largely caught on film. Robert W. Paul captured the view from the water while E.P. Prestwich filmed from an altitude of 150 feet and a considerable distance to encompass the entire ship within the frame as it slid into the river. Neither footage captured the waves striking the viewing stand, although Paul’s footage does catch boatmen attempting to rescue survivors in the chaos that followed.

The technology to capture and project motion pictures was less than 10 years old at the time of the tragic loss. The footage of the launch is considered to be one of the earliest disasters captured in the history of news film.

The footage has recently been remastered and colorized.  

The first tragedy ever filmed. The launch of HMS Albion.

Thanks to Larry Witmer for contributing to this post.