Piccadilly Circus Time-lapse
16mm film Colour Silent 1972 6:04
Summary: A time-lapse film of the Piccadilly Circus roundabout.
Title number: 864
LSA ID: LSA/1155
Description: A film made to examine traffic patterns in central London, shot from a fixed camera position looking at Piccadilly Circus roundabout and north-easterly up Shaftsbury Avenue. There are illuminated advertising hoardings for Cinzano bianco, Skol lager, Wrigley's chewing gum, Commercial Union Assurance, Gordon's Gin, Rotary watches and Dunlop the tyre company. A branch of H. Samuels jewellers is also prominent on the corner of Shaftsbury Avenue and Regent Street. While the traffic is constant for most of the period filmed it is genteel compared with a contemporary view of the same scene. The traffic consists of private vehicles, black cab taxis, Routemaster buses and the occasional coach or work van. A few pedestrians are filmed stood or sat around the statue of Anteros (popularly referred to as Eros), and a street sweeper briefly works on the island. Later in the day many more pedestrians pass across the island while navigating the roads. At a couple of points the film briefly slows to the actual pace of the action. At another point the camera view is zoomed out revealing more of the area including further illuminated advertising hoardings for Volkswagen automobiles, Max Factor make up, Coca-Cola soft drinks and the blaxploitation film 'Shaft's Big Score'.
Further information: Around the time this film was shot Westminster City Council were considering (eventually unrealised) plans to implement ramps and catwalks to carry pedestrian traffic about Piccadilly Circus.
Keywords: Traffic; Traffic lights
Locations: United Kingdom; England; London; City of Westminster
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