Oxford on Film: From Attic to Archive Oxford University

This film was made in April 1918 as a recruitment tool by the government's Women's War department. In this unique episode we look at one of the oldest surviving films of Oxford. Made in April 1918, the film is titled -“Recruiting march and presentation to Princess Mary of the Women's Land Army, Oxford, 1918”. The march begins in St Giles with women entering the enrolment hut by the Martyrs' Memorial. The huge procession goes down the Cornmarket, through Carfax and on to Broad Street. Some of the women are in uniform, and the procession includes a steam tractor. Mr R E Prothero, Minister of Agriculture, leads local city and university officials to Trinity College gardens, where Princess Mary presents awards to the Land Girls. One of the girls shows two baby lambs. The awards continue while the members of the council and the university, one in a Bath chair, watch.

“Recruiting March of the Oxfordshire Women's Land Army,” by Women's War Department. The Imperial War Museum Film Archive via First World War Poetry Digital Archive, accessed March 8, 2023, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/5523

In this episode we compare and contrast locations in and around Oxford from 1918, and the present day. In this episode we compare and contrast locations from film taken during April 1918, and the present day. How have the places and people changed? After 100 years how different is Oxford? The archive film is provided from “Recruiting March of the Oxfordshire Women's Land Army,” by Women's War Department. The Imperial War Museum Film Archive via First World War Poetry Digital Archive”. Accessed March 8, 2023, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/5523

In this episode we look at social history scenes from various archive films showing Oxford at work, rest and play. The film contains film footage of Oxford from the 1930, 1940s and 1960s including footage of sports events at Iffley Rd and the old Oxford football ground.

In this 2nd episode, we collate rare colour Oxfordshire footage shot in 1944 by US airforce officers. Film clips concentrate on the social life in Oxford city centre, Wallingford, Dorchester, Abingdon and surrounding villages. Rare world war two colour provided by William Lorton from the archive of relative James R. Savage, filmed during his time as a Flight Surgeon for the 14th Photo Reconnaissance Unit at Mount Farm Airbase in Oxfordshire. This film includes never before seen colour and black and white 16mm film of Oxford during the war in the summer of 1944. The film starts with a clip filmed by James R. Savage of a fellow officer buying a ticket for a trip on an Oxford Salters boat, to travel down the River Thames to Wallingford. The film clips were likely filmed to show relatives back home in the US, and concentrate on tourist sights and the social life in Oxford city centre, Wallingford, Dorchester, Abingdon and surrounding villages.

Thousands gather on the High Street on May Morning, Oxford 1993. Thousands gather on the High Street on May Morning, Oxford 1993 to hear Magdalen's choristers singing. The bells of Magdalen College Tower ring at 6am, early morning revellers gather on the bridge below, as Morris dancing takes place in Radcliffe Square and Broad street. Oxford celebrates May Morning. This footage was taken by Charles Beesley, for the Oxford University Media Production Unit in 1993. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

In 1949, filmmakers Guy L. Coté and Hugh Wyn Griffith directed the film ‘Sestrieres’ for the Oxford Ski Club, about their trip to the Italian ski resort, Sestriere. We compare this with film of a recent trip, highlighting obvious changes in student life!