Don_Kiddick
18-06-2005, 08:49
SHEFFIELDERS are being invited to take a trip back in time to see images of South Yorkshire from more than a century ago.
The unique film show is being presented at Sheffield University as part of its continuing centenary celebrations, and concentrates on the late Victorian and early Edwardian period.
The films are part of the priceless Mitchell and Kenyon Collection - showcased in a BBC2 series earlier this year.
The event will feature some of the precious 836 rolls of early nitrate film discovered in the basement of a shop in Blackburn 11 years ago, which have since been restored at a cost of £1 million.
Most were not seen in the BBC programmes, which could show only a fraction of the material which has been rescued.
The find has since been described by film historians as the cinematographic equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb.
The evening on July 14 will be hosted by Dr Vanessa Toulmin, director of the University's National Fairground Archive.
She was responsible for researching and cataloguing all of the films, in terms of their content, the places seen, the people photographed and the dates they were shot.
"It's been a real labour of love - discovering who the people were in the films really brought them to life for me," she said.
As cinemas did not exist at the time they were made, the films were commissioned from Mitchell and Kenyon for viewing in tents in fairgrounds.
As a result they often featured crowd scenes at factories or at public events, as it was well known that people would pay to see themselves or their friends up on the big screen.
The South Yorkshire material mainly features Sheffield and Rotherham, and includes factory workers, football matches, schoolchildren, tram rides through city streets, park scenes and even a street accident.
Venues include the Maxim and Atlas works, Weston Park, Bramall Lane and the Parkgate Iron and Steel Company.
From further afield is a Doncaster factory scene, the Buxton skyline and a Buxton well dressing.
Some of the footage has still to be identified - around 40 films remain a mystery.
"One in particular shows a Doncaster factory - we know that because it was written on the negative," Dr Toulmin said. "But which factory it was, and who the people were, we simply don't know. It's possible that relatives in the audience may come forward to identify their ancestors."
As a prelude to the main event, a ten minute film sequence will be shown featuring the arrival of King Edward VII and Queen Charlotte to Sheffield in July 1905, and the opening of the new university buildings on Western Bank.
Admission is free, but by ticket only. The contact number for the University is Sheffield 0114 222 1042.
From Here:
http://www.rotherhamtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=85&ArticleID=1060123
The unique film show is being presented at Sheffield University as part of its continuing centenary celebrations, and concentrates on the late Victorian and early Edwardian period.
The films are part of the priceless Mitchell and Kenyon Collection - showcased in a BBC2 series earlier this year.
The event will feature some of the precious 836 rolls of early nitrate film discovered in the basement of a shop in Blackburn 11 years ago, which have since been restored at a cost of £1 million.
Most were not seen in the BBC programmes, which could show only a fraction of the material which has been rescued.
The find has since been described by film historians as the cinematographic equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb.
The evening on July 14 will be hosted by Dr Vanessa Toulmin, director of the University's National Fairground Archive.
She was responsible for researching and cataloguing all of the films, in terms of their content, the places seen, the people photographed and the dates they were shot.
"It's been a real labour of love - discovering who the people were in the films really brought them to life for me," she said.
As cinemas did not exist at the time they were made, the films were commissioned from Mitchell and Kenyon for viewing in tents in fairgrounds.
As a result they often featured crowd scenes at factories or at public events, as it was well known that people would pay to see themselves or their friends up on the big screen.
The South Yorkshire material mainly features Sheffield and Rotherham, and includes factory workers, football matches, schoolchildren, tram rides through city streets, park scenes and even a street accident.
Venues include the Maxim and Atlas works, Weston Park, Bramall Lane and the Parkgate Iron and Steel Company.
From further afield is a Doncaster factory scene, the Buxton skyline and a Buxton well dressing.
Some of the footage has still to be identified - around 40 films remain a mystery.
"One in particular shows a Doncaster factory - we know that because it was written on the negative," Dr Toulmin said. "But which factory it was, and who the people were, we simply don't know. It's possible that relatives in the audience may come forward to identify their ancestors."
As a prelude to the main event, a ten minute film sequence will be shown featuring the arrival of King Edward VII and Queen Charlotte to Sheffield in July 1905, and the opening of the new university buildings on Western Bank.
Admission is free, but by ticket only. The contact number for the University is Sheffield 0114 222 1042.
From Here:
http://www.rotherhamtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=85&ArticleID=1060123