LONDON — Rare footage that shows Queen Victoria smiling, sporting sunglasses and greeting the public has been rediscovered, challenging history’s immortalization of the British monarch as an imposing and sullen figure.

In most photographs and portraits, the queen, known for leading Britain through much of the 19th century as it embraced industry and built its empire, is shown sitting with a grave expression on her face. But in the recently restored black-and-white footage, found on reels held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Queen Victoria appears smiling and happy during her last royal visit to Ireland, in 1900.

Although the art of moving pictures was still in its nascent stage, the movie of the queen is remarkably clear. And compared to other footage of the same trip, the film is apparently unique in showing her face close up.

“When I first saw the film, I let out a yelp and I was dancing around,” said Bryony Dixon, the British Film Institute’s silent film curator, who recognized how special the clip was when she was shown the footage by archivists at the museum while on a working visit to New York in January. “It was such a shock to finally see Queen Victoria’s face.”