Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton collects, preserves, catalogues and provides public access to its collection of films and magic lantern slides. The collection charts the rise of screen culture in the region and the nation and captures many aspects of life, work and creativity in the South East from the late 19th century to the present day. It is available for research, screenings, creative re-use and commercial access.
Local Scenes and Family Pictures
Grandma and Grandad also join in the fun of this home movie - with beaches, swings & roundabouts and a medieval pageant led by Christopher Robin
This remarkable film from the late 1920s shows an entire family thoroughly enjoying themselves. Beginning with scenes at Dymchurch and Lancing we see the children and their parents cavort on the beach while Grandad, in his suit and Homberg, looks on. After visiting Chichester's livestock auctions we see the entire family playing on swings and roundabouts. Even Grandma goes down the slide. We then see an historical pageant in progress before visiting two dams in Wales.
This unique film also features Christopher Robin Milne, whose father, A A Milne, created the character, Winnie the Pooh - he is seen in the section of this film which shows the 1929 Pageant of Ashdown Forest. At this event characters dressed in medieval and 18th century costume enact various historical scenarios, including what appears to be a battle, to an appreciative audience. Christopher Robin, then still a small boy, leads a procession of younger players who are dressed as characters from the Winnie the Pooh books.
At the dawn of the cinema age, these trailblazing early adopters brought filmmaking technology into the home.
Home moviemaking is older than the first cinemas: we've been filming ourselves for well over a hundred years. The birth of the cinematograph in 1895 inspired a plethora of inventions pitched at the domestic market: Kinoras, Kammatographs, Pictorialographs, Birtacs and Biokams - all cameras designed for amateurs and enthusiasts to film and project in the home. This collection celebrates the earliest home movies preserved in Britain, and bears witness to the dawn of the amateur's long-standing fascination with family, travel and community. "The object in introducing this apparatus is to endeavour to popularize this extremely fascinating branch of photography.... [I have] always looked forward to the time when animated photography would be within the reach of every one" - filmmaker/inventor Birt Acres, on his Birtac camera, 1898.
24 videos in this collection
Local Scenes and Family Pictures
1927
Midsummer Madness - An Idiotic Idyll
1933
Psyche's Wedding
Devon
1920
The Witch's Fiddle
1924
Marjorie Glasspool Films Her Family in Alton
Hampshire
1930
The Scarlet Woman
Hampstead Heath
1924
Mermaids at Play
Bognor Regis
1903
Children's Party, Playing with Ball
1902
Girls Looking at Film and Giggling
1902
Children's Party, "Oranges and Lemons"
1902
Playing on Beach, Making Sandcastle
Bognor Regis
1903
Joan's Birthday Party
Poole Harbour
1929
Joce and Gill at Home
1936
Early film making at Welsh camp
Llanymawddwy
1929
1934 Spirits from the Vasty Deep
Aberystwyth
1934
Royal Silver Jubilee 1935 - Cardiff
Cardiff/Caerdydd
1935
They Forgot to Read the Directions
Cherkley Court
1924
Crossing the Great Sagrada
1924
Aberaeron - Alban Square
Aberaeron
1929
Factory to Home and Pinner Rd
Pinner
1926
Minehead - Osborne Personal Film
Minehead
1932
The Seven O' Clock Regulars' Swimming Club Part 1 of 3