This film “Jamaican Harvest” shows operations of the United Fruit Company in the 1930s. The ship shown in the film is likely one of United Fruit’s refrigerated ships, such as SS Antigua and SS Contessa. These banana boats were engaged in the fruit trade and also operated as luxurious passenger vessels.

“GB Instructional Presents: Jamaican Harvest” (0:12). Team of oxen walking in a line through a field in Jamaica (0:20). Oxen with yokes around their necks (0:41). Jamaican farmer whipping oxen (0:49). Jamaican farmer plowing and harrowing soil (1:01-1:12). Group of Jamaican farmers plowing the field (1:21). Women weeding the banana fields by hoeing the earth (1:36). Dams constructed across rivers to create reservoirs (2:06). Several inches of water flood the field of banana plants (2:45). Chickens walking through field (3:04). A “sucker” or banana plant pup grows at the base of a four-year-old tree (3:14). Pruning banana plants (3:29). Flowery blossom of banana tree (3:38). Bananas growing with their points to the sky (3:45). To harvest bananas, planter makes cuts in the trunk of banana tree and top of trunk falls over (4:03). Bananas carried to bullock carts for transportation to the railhead (4:48). Snipper cutting off ends of the stems as the bananas pass by (5:16). Bananas loaded onto bullock wagons padded by waste leaves (5:39). Bananas loaded into box cars on the railway (6:15). Native laborers carry bananas on their heads to be loaded onto the ship (6:53). Labor checking machine depicted (7:39).

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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com