The Internet Archive (Clement and Funston) will be screening two “Lost Landscapes” films in the coming weeks featuring San Francisco and Detroit.
The films are compilations of old footage of each city, compiled by archivist Rick Prelinger of the Prelinger Archives. The films are feature-length compilations of home movies, industrial films, outtakes and newsreels showing each city as it was. All of the footage is pre-1970 and is a fascinating look at an earlier time in these urban landscapes.
First up on January 24 at 7:30pm is “Lost Landscapes of San Francisco Part 6”. I saw this at the Castro Theater in December and I highly recommend it. If you’re interested in San Francisco history or just enjoy seeing old footage of the city, you’ll really enjoy it. See footage of San Francisco’s cemeteries just before their removal, unique drive-thru footage of the Old Produce Market (now Golden Gateway) in the late 1940s, cruising the newly-built Embarcadero Freeway, grungy back streets in North Beach, and newly-rediscovered Cinemascope footage of Playland, the Sky Tram and San Francisco scenes, all in Kodachrome. One of my favorite parts was watching bi-planes take off over the dunes of the Sunset District.
On February 22 at 7:30pm, there will be a screening of “Lost Landscapes: Detroit Part 2”. Most of the material has never been shown publicly, and this year’s show will include a great deal of new footage, including women workers at World War II Chrysler plant, Detroit public school students (1947-48) in class, on the streets, and
on a field trip to the Diego Rivera murals, Detroiters making a pilgrimage to the newly opened Northland Center in 1956, driving down Woodward during the 1950s, in Kodachrome and much more.
To attend one or both screenings, send an email to rsvp@archive.org to reserve your spot. Include your full name, the number in your party and which screening(s) you want to attend.
And don’t miss the 1955 Cinemascope footage of San Francisco at the top of this post. It’s an example of the fascinating kinds of clips that Prelinger has assembled for “Lost Landscapes: San Francisco”.
Sarah B.
Thanks for this post, Sarah! Loved seeing the footage of Playland and the skytram (who knew?). Ah, a time when there was relatively little traffic. Fun to see the little girls in dresses at the zoo, most men wearing hats, and no blue jeans on anyone. Enjoyed this a lot.