In 1994 builders discovered hundreds of meters of film that may have lain abandoned since 1913, when a film studio based on the relevant site closed. A decade of preservation later, and viewers can find themselves face to face with a generation we often hear of but rarely see: those who would fight in World War 1. Rather than featuring actors and scripted scenes, the films show normal British workers going about their daily business. This article explains how the films came back into the public domain, why they're important, and just what it’s like watching them.