Shot by an unknown amateur filmmaker, “Around Town” is a silent 16mm home movie from 1952. It begins with images of New York CIty’s harbor including the first propane carrier SS Natalie O. Warren (:26). At (:50) the cityscape of skyscrapers as seen from the harbor. At (1:01) Castle Williams on Governor’s Island is visible. At (1:08) ice skaters at Rockefeller Center, and then at the Wollman Rink at Central Park. At (2:05) images of Times Square including a Pepsi neon sign, a sign for Admiral Television sets, and more. At (2:21) an animated sign for Grand Union Food Markets and Budweiser beer (2:32). At (2:42) a line at the Astor theater for “Road to Bali”, a Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour film released in 1952. At (2:56), lovely color, nighttime images of the Planters Peanut neon sign, and some of the other signs seen previously. At (3:35) a ticker tape news headline about wounded troops in Korea. At (3:39) shots at the Central Park Zoo including lions, penguins, chimpanzees, elephants, seals, giraffes and other animals. The film ends with shots of the La Guardia Airport terminal, and at (8:57) the viewing deck. At (9:10) an American Airlines Flagship Buffalo, tail N90410 taxis to a stop. At (9:23) Flagship Fort Worth #N94268 disembarks passengers onto the tarmac. American Airlines Convair 240 #N94268, Flagship Potomac, is also seen. At (9:57) a civilian helicopter takes off and flies past the La Guardia Airport control tower. This appears to be a New York Airways Sikorsky S-55A.
Motion picture films don’t last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we’ve worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies — including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you’d like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below.
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