Shot by an unknown American tourist, this silent home movie takes viewers through parts of Italy and France in the 1930’s. During this time period in Italy, the fascist party had grabbed a solid foothold over the country. Meanwhile in France, the Great Depression hit in 1931, later than in other countries.
The film opens with images of boats lined up along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy (:20). The Rialto bridge (:24) appears and is the oldest of the four bridges which cross over the Grand Canal. In St. Mark’s Square (:53), the Campanile Bell Tower stands as the tallest structure in Venice at 323 ft. The camera moves around the center of the square capturing pedestrians and pigeons dotting the ground (1:22). The view changes as the film moves onto a small gondola boat on the canal (2:16). Another angle of the Rialto bridge follows from the canal (2:27). Guests enjoy the sun and sand in 1930’s style swim suits (3:12). The dome of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter is captured (3:50) in the Vatican City. Hadrian’s tomb (4:02) sits at the right bank of the Tiber near the Vatican City. The tour heads to Rome and the Trevi Fountain (4:30). The fountain was developed by Nicola Salvi and is one of the largest Baroque fountains in the city. Cattle move down a gravel and dirt road (4:35). The Colosseum (4:52) is one of the most popular tourist attractions as well as the largest ancient amphitheater-built dating back to AD 70-80. Dark footage follows of a small town nestled in a valley (6:51). The film goes to Switzerland briefly and to the parkland conference center called Kursaal in Interlaken (8:16). Two women work on sewing embroidery onto fabric (8:35). Two brown bears move in an outdoor zoo pen (9:19). A military cemetery, which might be the Suresnes American military cemetery opened in 1932, appears (11:28). The camera heads into the city of Paris (11:31). The ever-familiar Notre-dame of Paris is pictured (11:52). It stands today as one of the world’s best representations of French gothic architecture. The Marechal Foch monument follows (12:42). The Eiffel Tower (12:52) is captured on the Champ de Mars in Paris. The Hotel de Ville (13:24) hosts the city’s administration and was constructed in 1357. The Arc du Triomphe (13:54) sits at the western end of the Champs-Elysees. The film wraps up with shots of pedestrians viewing the arc from underneath (1416) as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (14:22) which had it’s first memorial service in the 1920’s.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
