Moving History - a guide to UK film and television archives in the public sector

Yorkshire Film Archive - The Collections

The Yorkshire Film Archive began in 1988 as a small community history initiative. Since then the Archive has developed into the professionally recognised public access film archive for the region of Yorkshire. It exists to locate, preserve, promote and show film and video made in, or about the region. The Yorkshire Film Archive is an independent registered charity, with a Board of Trustees representing the educational, curatorial, media, community, corporate, legal and financial sectors. The Archives purpose built premises form part of the Public Access Learning centre at York St John University College which opened in September 2003.

The Yorkshire Film Archive collections comprise over fourteen thousand reels of film, hundreds of video tapes as well as growing collections of digital media. The collections include the BBC News collection for the Yorkshire region between 1972 and 1988 comprising 8,000 items on film and 1 inch tape. The collection includes material covering issues of national and regional significance as well as featuring everyday life, work and leisure in Yorkshire through newsreel items, professional and amateur documentary material, advertising and promotional films, as well as amateur home movies and fiction. The Archive also holds other materials and related non film collections that support and enhance the Archive's moving image collection.

Places

Yorkshire Film Archive contains film about all aspects of the region. South and West Yorkshire have been traditionally defined by their industrial base, and much of the material in the Archive from that area features industrial subjects such as steel, mining and textiles. Larger towns and cities such as Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, Sheffield, Wakefield, Rotherham and Barnsley feature well in the collection. In North Yorkshire cities and towns such as York, Ripon and Harrogate are featured, however, the majority of North Yorkshire has a rural base and much of the material for this part of the region covers rural and agricultural life in the areas of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. Yorkshire's coastline also features in the Archive through holidays, fishing and coastal industries in areas such Scarborough, Hull, Staithes, and Whitby. Newer material in the Archive also reflects the diverse range of communities throughout the region and the changes that have taken place in the urban and rural geography of the region.

'Yorkshire from the Aire' (2001)
Tracking the course of the River Aire from its source in Malhamdale through to its meeting with the sea

Subjects and periods

The Archive's collection covers all material of relevance to the Yorkshire region, with particular strengths on issues such as industries and working life, education, family and community life, leisure activities, local events, the rural and urban landscapes and war-time in the region. The Archive holds moving image material dating from the 1890s up to the present day. The Archive also places a strong emphasis on supporting the production and preservation of contemporary moving images that reflect the social, political and community issues of relevance to modern Yorkshire.

Early film and cinema - Yorkshire has significant links with early film production around the turn of the twentieth century and the Archive holds viewing prints of many of the surviving early films related to or made in the region. The pioneer Louis le Prince recorded on film, Leeds Bridge in 1888. His images are said to be the earliest ever production of moving images on film and represent a landmark in film history. Yorkshire was also the base for pioneering film production centres such as The Sheffield Photo Company, Bamforth and Co. based in Holmfirth, the Riley Brothers, Pyramid Films and the Captain Kettle company, all based in Bradford. The original prints for many of the surviving early films are held in the BFI NFTVA collection. Viewing prints and access copies are held at Yorkshire Film Archive providing access to these films in the region.

'Leeds Bridge' (1888)
Believed to be the earliest production of moving images, made by Louis Le Prince. Surviving material for this film is held in the BFI National Film and Television Archive
'Queen Victoria visits Sheffield' (1897)
The earliest original film held in the archive's collection, showing Queen Victoria on an official visit to Sheffield

War-time - The Archive has a small collection of films made in Yorkshire during the First World War. One of the best examples from this period shows scenes of the Highland regiments based at a large army camp in Ripon in 1915. The Archive also holds a growing number of films from Yorkshire during the Second World War. Many of these focus on the activities of the home guard, films of VE day celebrations in local towns and cities, and recordings of rural life during the war. The Archive has recently been awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund through the “Their Past Your Future” strand of the Veteran’s Reunited Project. The aim of the project is to research, catalogue, and digitise film from the Yorkshire region relating to WW2 and make it accessible across the region through the delivery of four key events.

'Scenes from the Ripon Highland Sports' (1915)
The film shows the soldiers on a day off at the Ripon race course. Scenes from this film were used to inspire a recent artists installation, 'Still; quiet landscape inner conflict'
'Holmfirth in Wartime' (1940s)
An amateur film documenting the lives of people in Holmfirth during the years of the Second World War

Industry - The large scale industries of coal mining, steel manufacturing and textile making have dominated working life in Yorkshire through much of the twentieth century and films of these industries feature particularly strongly in the archive's collection. There are also many films of other businesses, trades and industries from around the region, including material from amateur, promotional and documentary sources.

'Dewsbury Blanket Mills' (1932)
A promotional film by Wormald & Walker Blanket Mills charting the processes of the textile factory from the arrival of the raw yarns to the delivery of the finished blankets
'Chocolate Families' (2000)
A documentary focusing on the chocolate industry in York which employs several hundred people
'Curry City' (2000)
Looking at the personal stories behind life and work at two curry restaurants in Bradford

Rural life - The Archive has many films illustrating rural life and work across the region, in North Yorkshire in particular. Films include examples such as hay cutting, crop growing and dairy farming, showing production in both small scale traditional settings as well as more modern industrialised contexts. Many of the films repeat subjects across different eras, documenting developments that have taken place from the early twentieth century to contemporary times. The unique wildlife and landscape of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors are also illustrated through promotional films documentaries and amateur footage.

'Dale Days' (1942)
This amateur film shows a family holiday in the Dales and gives a good reflection of the agriculture and small industries of the area, including the making of Wensleydale cheese
'North to the Dales' (1962)
A British Transport Film promoting the landscape and character of the Yorkshire Dales and shows the production of Wensleydale Cheese transformed by modern technology
'Meat Crazy' (1999)
A film on the impact of the BSE crisis on cattle farms and communities in North Yorkshire
'The Rhubarb Triangle' (2000)
A film on the importance of the rhubarb crop to growers, chefs and consumers in Yorkshire

Family life, communities and leisure - A great deal of the Archive's collection depicts the region at leisure, through family activities, holidays, sports, and entertainment. Scenes of everyday domestic life, family events and activities are most often found in collections of amateur home movies. These often feature celebrations such as birthdays and weddings, family outings to the coast or the countryside and trips abroad, as well as capturing scenes of changing daily family life over time. The Archive also holds films from varied sources that illustrate or promote leisure activities, including activities in the Dales such as potholing and fell-racing, tourist promotional films for places such as Scarborough and York, documentaries on the views and experiences of communities and visitors in the region, film of sporting competitions and recordings of music festivals and cultural activities.

'Something'll Happen by Friday' ( 1963 )
A week in the life of the local newspaper, the Whitby Gazette
'Rachel discovers the Sea' ( 1936 )
A family film showing a holiday in Filey, and capturing the best of simple pleasures, sea, sandcastles, donkeys, cricket, the delights of the seaside
'Taming the Tigers' (1999)
A professional rugby team, Castleford Tigers, and their supporters live through a passionate season

Regional and national events - Many events that have importance to local communities and to the region have been recorded in local newsreels and documentaries, or captured on film by amateurs, public bodies and organisations. Events featured in the Archive include local activities such as village fairs, 'Ox Roasts' parades, and historical pageants as well as larger events such as royal visits and music festivals.

'Long Preston Silver Jubilee Celebrations' (1935)
One of a number of examples of local events, which, when taken back and shown locally, still stirs memories and stories of real significance to that community
'Home Grown' (1999)
Film of the Northern Green Gathering, a festival which emphasises environmental issues, and music held at Brickyard Farm, Ackworth

Recent and current material - The Archive is firmly committed to the archiving of contemporary moving images and plays a strong role in creating opportunities for new film-making. In 1996 the archive began to work with the Yorkshire Media Consortium to commission new and innovative film-making in the region designed to reflect the, often unheard, views and concerns of communities and people across Yorkshire. The result has been the development of new collections of documentary films made between 1998 and 2001 by independent film-makers. These films offer perspectives on working life, education, leisure and social issues that can rarely be found in mainstream broadcast and film material. Many of the films reflect a diverse range of communities throughout the region and illustrate experiences and attitudes on issues such as gender, disability, race, faith and mental illness. The Archive also holds related production material and background information on these films.

'Saying Their Prayers' (2000)
A celebration of the different ways in which people worship in Yorkshire
'Bradford Mela Festival' (1998)
Contemporary documentary film of the Bradford Mela; the largest Asian Festival in the UK
'Our Say, Hearsay' (1999)
A film on the views and experiences of young people about to leave care
'Never Give Up - Against Violence against Women in West Yorkshire' (2001)
A film on campaigns against violence against women from the early 1970s to the present

Production types

Amateur film - The Yorkshire Film Archive has a substantial collection of amateur films made in the region by individuals and groups, many of which illustrate family life as well as capturing images of every day life and events in the region from a unique perspective. One of the largest collections of amateur film in the Archive originates from Bank Manager and amateur film-maker Charles Chislett from Rotherham, who made over 100 films between 1935 and1960. He made many films of his family at home as well as films of his holidays abroad including his journey on the Maiden Voyage of the Queen Mary. He also made films for the Church Pastoral Aid Society which were used to highlight social needs and raise money for charitable causes.

'St George's Crypt' (1948)
Amateur film made by Charles Chistlett showing the work of the Leeds Church, providing food and shelter in its crypt to the homeless
'The Sheffield Steel Industry' (1930s)
Filmed by a master cutler in the 1930s, this collection of films shows the workings inside one of Yorkshire's main industries
'Harrogate, Boardroom of the North' ( 1970 )
A professional film to promote Harrogate as a centre for new industries, conferences, and quality of living, featuring a trade fare for men's wear held in Harrogate

Local topicals and newsreels - It was common for small film production companies and cinema owners in the first few decades of the twentieth century to make local 'topical' films and newsreels of events and scenes around the region, for showing in the local cinemas. Items in the collection looking at regional stories incorporate events such as royal visits, official openings and celebrations as well as capturing crowds and street scenes and some unusual activities from around Yorkshire.

'Mr Royce's Jam Jar Greenhouse' (1952)
A Pathé newsreel story on man who built a greenhouse out of jam jars
'Wakefield and Castlefield Marbles Championship' (1933)
Newsreel film of this local event made by British Movietone

Television -The Archive houses the BBC News collection for the region between 1972 and 1988 comprising 8,000 items on film and 1 inch tape. The Archive has representatives from both the BBC and Yorkshire Television on its Board of Trustees. In early 2004 YFA was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to research, preserve and make accessible a previously neglected aspect of our regional moving image heritage: the history of regional television in Yorkshire. The completion of the project was marked with an event held at the National Media Museum in January 2005, where many of the television programmes are now permanently accessible in the TV Heaven Gallery.

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