Weavers in Kilbarchan, Scotland (1926)

Kilbarchan was central to the weaving industry, this clip features three generations of weavers in one scene.

This extract comes from Claude Friese-Greene's 'The Open Road' - originally filmed in 1925/6 and now re-edited and digitally resto This extract comes from Claude Friese-Greene's 'The Open Road' - originally filmed in 1925/6 and now re-edited and digitally resto This extract comes from Claude Friese-Greene's 'The Open Road' - originally filmed in 1925/6 and now re-edited and digitally restored by the BFI National Archive. Britain seen in colour for the first time was heralded as a great technical advance for the cinema audience - now we can view a much improved image, but one which still stays true to the principles of the colour process.

The rather haphazard journey from Land's End to John O'Groats creates a series of moving picture postcards. Look out for shots containing the component colours - red and blue-green - such as when a little girl in a red coat and hat walks among peacocks in the grounds of a castle, and three girls with red curly hair pose by the sea at Torquay.

The car is a Vauxhall D-type - considered a sporty model at the time. A long-distance journey by car was a relatively new concept, with none of the amenities en route now taken for granted. The visit to a petrol station shows smoking on the forecourt: no health and safety issues back then! The travelogue ends with a series of recognisable London landmarks. Much remains the same - one major exception being the volume of traffic on the roads. (Jan Faull)

For more information about 'The Open Road' see http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/openroad/

To buy the DVD click here - http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmstore

You can watch the whole of 'The Open Road' and 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Open
• Road
• travelogue
• Weavers
• weaving
• Kilbarchan
• Scotland

[ml2001]

the colorising of the film makes the old video came to life. Amazing

[gatheringleaves]

Is this really 1926, the quality seems awfully good for the 1920's

[MRBraveheartscot]

Excellent post - thanks for taking the time and sharing such amazing memories.

[TheWings2fly]

wow, was this really taken in 1926? I was just there today and the view is still as stunning. I didn't realise the big green pipes (not sure what they're really called) were there all the way back then too. It really is a beautiful place.

[PaulasNoTube]

excellent to see

[sueishere25]

Awesome!

[glamfakir]

Thanks for posting. Amazing quality of colour! Still in the silent movie era!

I grew up near here in the 60's and 70's by which time the cottage had become a museum. I used to peer inside with fascination. The building and the street still look the same now.

[stephen9478]

thanks for uploading this, i used to stay in Kilbarchan and its great to see actual video footage of kilbarchan in the 1920's.

Thanks again

[blade0954]

fascinating glimpse in to the past,most enjoyable thank you