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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Weekend Diversion: Postwar NZ ‘Unusual Occupations’


It’s been awhile since I posted a video from Archives NZ as a Weekend Diversion, so here’s one they posted late last week. The video above is a National Film Unit compilation reel made up of films that were released between 1947 and 1951.

In this real are:
  • Bottle House (1950)
  • The Clock Collector (1950)
  • Sumner. Smokers Pipes (1949)
  • Christchurch. Leaf Collector (1947)
  • Dunedin. Making Stained Glass Windows (1948)
  • Letting Off Steam (1951)
These old films fascinate me because, being foreign-born, I didn’t grow up seeing such old films. Also, the plummy accents officially required for film narrations back then seem comical now. So, for me, it’s almost like peering into the past of a country I don’t recognise. Actually, younger Kiwis may feel the same way.
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2 comments:

  1. Roger Owen GreenJuly 18, 2011 12:28 pm

    US newreels of that era also had some voiceovers tht, in hindsight, are hysterical.
    Maybe next week, you can do Animal Novelties.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Arthur SchenckJuly 19, 2011 1:25 am

    The era must've demanded weirdly affected accents/styles. I'll see what I can do about the animals...

    ReplyDelete

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