'Films Were Made' Offers Rich Archive

There's a new opportunity to access a unique film archive.
The East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia contains around 100,000 films of the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
These date from 1896 to the end of the 20th century, and form a rich collection for television programme use, for researchers and for local historians.
David Cleveland, the First Director of the Archive from 1976 to 2004, has written the first of two volumes explaining what the Archive holds, and putting the films in context with national and local history.
The films range from cinema shorts and documentaries, educational, instructional, publicity, and advertising productions; amateur and cine group films; and regional television material.
There are information films, local government films, training films, and films which cover such things as housing, new towns, crafts, fishing, shipping, personalities, disasters and rural life.
Amongst the chapters in David Cleveland’s book are Industry, Transport, Wartime, The Coast, and even a section explaining what film was and how it worked. Illustrated with over 400 pictures and sub-titled ‘The Region at Work’, this hardback A4 size book is named "Films Were Made." A second volume is in preparation sub-titled ‘Local History’.
For information on films in the East Anglian Film Archive contact the Director Richard Taylor on 01603 592664.
(BMcN/BMcC)