Duke Collection: 2: Views of life in India 1930s

This film is held by the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum (ID: 2000/029/002).

Synopsis

Various views of life in India: street scenes, camping, acrobatics, elephant ride and rural life. Includes an excellent sequence of fishermen beating the water with long poles and retreiving the catch with scoop nets while balancing on floating tightly bound bundles of reeds.

Production / Donor Details: This collection was shot by Brigadier Cecil Leonard Basil (Bulger) Duke, 1896-1962, who, after service in WWI, was posted to India in 1921. From 1922 -28 he commanded the 4th Field Company, KGO Bengal Sappers & Miners, which was engaged on road and bridge building in Waziristan and the construction of training camps near Peshawar. In 1934 he returned from the U.K. to the Bengal Sappers at Roorkee as Superintendent of Instruction, and in 1938 became Commandant of the Sappers Training Battalion at Roorkee. From 1942-45 he was imprisoned by the Japanese, and from 1946 served in Burma and then Kenya where he was Commander Mombasa Sub Area when the vast Mackinnon Road construction works were carried out. After retirement in 1952 he spent the rest of his life in Kenya near Thomson's Falls.

 

Titles

  • Duke Collection: 2: Views of life in India 1930s (Archive)
Series Title:
Duke Collection
 

Technical Data

Year:
1930
Running Time:
14 minutes 30 secs
Film Gauge (Format):
8mm VHS
Sound:
Mute
Footage:
175 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Details
See synopsis