The Governor-General rides the roller coaster.
This clip begins with the title: 'The Exhibition is opened by the Governor General Lord Galway'. The Governor General, a middle-aged man with a moustache, speaks into a microphone. There is presumably a crowd below him, listening to him declare the Centennial Exhibition open. We can guess the location from the roller coaster cars behind him. A second title then tells us 'Their Excellencies Enjoy the First Ride'. The Governor General and other dignitaries have the pleasure of the first ride on the roller coaster. We watch as it curves in front of us, past a grey fence topped with barbed wire, which possibly marks the perimeter of the Exhibition. The ladies and gentlemen hold on to their hats as they begin to ascend. The roller coaster swoops down one slope and up another and we catch a glimpse of part of a sign which says, appropriately, 'Thrill'. As it slows to a stop, the passengers look exhilarated and slightly relieved. The Governor General can be seen in the front carriage. In the next scene, he chats as he descends the stairs with the other passengers.
Private collection
Silent film taken by the Centennial Exhibition architect, Edmund Anscombe.
