Detail
Collection Gordon Family
Summary
A collection of pre and post-war films made by Philip L. Gordon at the family home near Cross-in-Hand, East Sussex. The collection includes films of the family in the garden, attending various family events, on outings and holidays across the South East, in Switzerland and France, and helping out at a local farm.
Collection ID | 1124 | Reference code | ES 091215 |
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Title | Gordon Family | ||
Dates | 1930s - 1940s | ||
Production | Philip L. Gordon Michel Coutin | ||
Materials | FILM 16mm Standard 8mm FILM EQUIPMENT DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION | ||
Access status | Contact Screen Archive South East for details |
Description
This collection of pre and post-war family films shows scenes of the Gordon family home and garden near Cross-in-Hand, East Sussex; with the family gathered together in the garden playing with family pets and at different times of the year. Family scenes include the children participating in their school Sports day, several horse riding Gymkhanas, and helping out on the nearby Heronsdale Farm, in Waldron East Sussex.
The films also include several family outings and holidays to Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Switzerland, Dinard, St Malo and Paris in France with scenes of the Paris Expo in 1937 and noted Parisian landmarks. The family also go on outings to Bodiam Castle and around the South Downs to Beachy Head, Birling Gap, Firle, and Lewes among others.
Later films show the Coutin family (connected by marriage) and include Michel and Kay's wedding in Tenterden, Kent in 1953 and a Gordon family visit to Kay Coutin in Nigeria in 1955.
Films in this collection:
Showing 11 results.
![[Lanrick; Cornwall] (1935-1938) A still from [Lanrick; Cornwall] (1935-1938)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10040/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Lanrick; Cornwall]
Date | 1935 - 1938 | ID | 10040 |
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This mixed colour and black and white film shows the family together at their home in Cross in Hand, including several scenes in Dufaycolor. The film includes the children playing in the garden with various toys, scenes of pets, a picnic, a flying boat, and scenes from several holidays and outings to Bodiam castle and the West Country that includes Stonehenge, St Michael's Mount, Tintagel and Clovelly village, Devon.
![[Coronation Scenes] (1937)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10041/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Coronation Scenes]
Date | 12 May 1937 | ID | 10041 |
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This black and white and colour edited film opens with a Movietone News film with added edited family footage of mixed military bands parading with the Royal Gold Coach along Oxford Street. The film-maker has also added views of Buckingham Palace, the Canada Gates and the Victoria Memorial to the second part of the film. The film ends with a British Movietone News end slate. [The Movietone news film is not included in the online clip]
![Dinard and Paris Exhibition [1937]](/wp-content/uploads/films/10042/image_a_thumb.jpg)
Dinard and Paris Exhibition
Date | 1937 | ID | 10042 |
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This colour and black and white film shows a family holiday to France, visiting Dinard, St Malo and Le Mont Saint-Michel. The second film shows highlights of the International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life with the German and Soviet Union Pavilions adjacent to the Eiffel Tower along with gardens and street scenes and several Parisian landmarks.

Downs School Sports
Date | 18 June 1938 | ID | 10043 |
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This short film shows several sports day events including a sack race, foot races, egg and spoon race, a high jump event and several adults sports events. The film also shows Beachy Head lighthouse from the cliff to the shoreline and children building a bonfire with a 'Guy' effigy.
![[Leisure Sports; Horse Riding] (1938-1939)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10044/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Leisure Sports; Horse Riding]
Date | 1938 - 1939 | ID | 10044 |
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This edited family film shows the family attending a Point-to-Point horse race event in Helingly, playing and socialising together at home in Cross In Hand and taking part in several horse riding events with the Pony club at Firle House and Lewes. The film also includes shots of the family's pet Shetland ponies, and watching the Southdown hunt.
![[Lanrick; Christmas; Farm] (1939-1941) A still from [Lanrick; Christmas; Farm] (1939-1941)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10045/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Lanrick; Christmas; Farm]
Date | 1939 - 1941 | ID | 10045 |
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This film, with both colour and black and white sections, shows the family at home and in their garden. The family go on several outings and trips around the South Coast, with friends and family visiting Birling Gap, Bodiam Castle and on holiday in St Ives in Cornwall. There is also a brief trip to Trinity College, Oxford.

Heronsdale Manor Harvest
Date | 1942 | ID | 10046 |
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This film shows several non-mechanised and mechanised processes of sowing and harvesting a corn and mustard crop on a Sussex farm; by adults and children. The film is inter-cut with a scene featuring a fleet of aircraft passing over head (shots out of focus) and intertitles throughout.
![[Lanrick; Horse Jumps; Solar Eclipse; Games] [1942-1945]](/wp-content/uploads/films/10047/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Lanrick; Horse Jumps; Solar Eclipse; Games]
Date | 1942 - 1945 | ID | 10047 |
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This edited colour and black and white film shows scenes of the family participating in a mixture of outdoor sports and activities including: a Pony Gymkhana; swimming in a pool and in the sea; watching a partial eclipse; a game of Croquet; a tennis match; Beekeeping; visiting several friends and family in Suffolk; and in the family garden.
![[Adelboden Ski Resort] (1949)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10048/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Adelboden Ski Resort]
Date | 1949 | ID | 10048 |
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This black and white and colour film shows a family holiday to Adelboden, Switzerland. The film includes landscape views from a cable car, an alpine train, shots from several mountains; followed by scenes of the family taking part in skiing; curling; hockey; tobogganing; and playing in the snow. The film ends with shots of a rough sea from a boat.
![[Wedding at Little Orchards] (1953)](/wp-content/uploads/films/10049/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Wedding at Little Orchards]
Date | 5 September 1953 | ID | 10049 |
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This film, shows a family wedding in Kent, followed by the wedding reception at the family home and closes with a brief group outing to Rye in East Sussex.

Northern Province Nigeria
Date | 31 January - 2 March 1955 | ID | 10050 |
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This film shows a family trip to visit relatives in Nigeria. They visit the Northern regions of Kano and Kaduna, touring several markets and rural villages. The film includes the Emir of Kano and Sardauna of Sokoto inspecting a parade of Native Authority Policemen, the gate of the Gidan Rumfa and the House of Assembly in Kaduna.
Showing 11 results.