Detail
Collection Roger Dunford
Summary
This varied collection by film-maker Roger Bernard Dunford, comprises several films showing his time with the Brighton Swimming Club, as well as ice skating in Brighton, plus a series of domestic family scenes and holiday films. There are also two Second World War service films taken during the time Dunford served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in Egypt and Ceylon.
Collection ID | 1262 | Reference code | BH 110901 |
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Title | Roger Dunford | ||
Dates | 1940s | ||
Production | Roger B. Dunford | ||
Materials | Film 16mm Documentation Digital Books | ||
Access status | Contact Screen Archive South East for details |
Description
This collection includes a series of films by Roger Bernard Dunford featuring his membership with the Brighton Swimming Club; competitions at the Brighton Ice Rink with his dancing partner Pam Thorne; family scenes at the A. Dunford drapers and tailors in Brighton; and family holidays to Switzerland, Austria, the Lake District, Wales and Scotland.
Roger purchased his first cine-camera in 1943 as a 21st birthday present to himself, following his sign up to the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) towards the end of the Second World War. Roger documented his service as a Sub Lieutenant in Egypt and in Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] .
Roger Dunford's 16mm films also feature as a part of the Floating Memories project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with East Sussex County Council, Brighton Fishing Museum, Screen Archive South East, Design Archive, University of Brighton and Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton and Hove in 2011. A copy of the project publication is available from: http://www.floatingmemories.co.uk/
Films in this collection:
Showing 13 results.
![[Weddings; Christening] (ca.1945) [Weddings; Christening] (ca.1945)](/wp-content/uploads/films/9256/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Weddings; Christening]
Date | [ca. 1945] | ID | 9256 |
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A film with various colour and black and white scenes that include a group of children on a residential street with workmen behind them; portraits of two wedding groups - the first in a garden [several members in forces uniforms) and the other outside a church; scenes of a wedding reception for a second pair of newlyweds; a christening gathering in a garden; colour scenes of several children playing with bubble pots outdoors and playing a game.
![[Navy in Egypt] (ca.1945) [Navy in Egypt] (ca.1945)](/wp-content/uploads/films/9269/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Navy in Egypt]
Date | [ca. 1945] | ID | 9269 |
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This film features a series of of street scenes in Egypt that includes a visit to the Italian monument to Khedive Ismail in Alexandria (now memorial to the unknown soldier). This is followed by wide shots showing a series of naval ships at sea and on the Suez Canal. The final part of the film shows mixed views of the Suez Canal that includes the 1914-1918 War Memorial on West Bank, near Ismailia.
[Navy in Ceylon]
Date | [ca. 1945?] | ID | 9270 |
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This film shows scenes of the Royal Naval land base at "RMS Mayina", near Colombo, Ceylon [Sri Lanka] with views of camp life that includes men at the camp entrance, the inside of a hut, and short scenes aboard several vessels. The film also includes a mix of everyday street scenes with: oxen, cats, local markets, children waving at the camera, a visit to the "Lomond Rubber Creping Mill, Kelaniya", local Sir Lankan men in portrait, and naval vessels on a lake or river.

[Brighton Swimming Club: Beach Snapshots part 1]
Date | [ca. 1946] | ID | 9251 |
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A compilation of films made by Brighton Swimming Club member Roger Dunford, featuring swimming club members, activities and related scenes on Brighton beach from the mid to late 1940s.
![[Brighton Ice Skating Rink] [1945-1949] A still from [Brighton Ice Skating Rink] [1945-1949]](/wp-content/uploads/films/9255/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Brighton Ice Skating Rink]
Date | 1945 -1949 | ID | 9255 |
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This film shows a professional ice dancing couple [Pam Thorne & Roger Dunford] and a trio skating on an indoor ice rink the Brighton Sports Stadium. The film is inter-cut with a couple sitting on a bench on Brighton seafront. A performance with ice dancers in costume includes a pantomime horse duo, two minstrels and a chorus line of girls. The final scenes shows the group of performers posing for portraits in a field.

[B&P: Ice Skating; Seafront; Camera Tricks]
Date | [ca. 1947?] | ID | 9271 |
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A young woman and a dog play in a garden; a couple go ice skating [dark]; a young woman and a man stand talking at the gate in Brighton [St Peter's]; Brighton Swimming Club bathers run out to swim in the sea [damaged]; a brief shot shows a naval vessel at sea; a man gets in a car and the camera is rotated [trick shot]; the car drives off; a group sit on a concrete bench.

[Brighton Swimming Club: Beach Snapshots part 2]
Date | [ca. 1947] | ID | 9252 |
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A compilation of black & white and colour films made by Brighton Swimming Club member Roger Dunford, featuring swimming club members, activities and related scenes on Brighton beach and Black Rock from the mid to late 1940s.
![Floating Memories 1946 - 1954; [2011] A Still from Floating Memories 1946 - 1954; [2011]](/wp-content/uploads/films/10039/image_a_thumb.jpg)
Floating Memories
Date | 1946 - 1954; [2011] | ID | 10039 |
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Beach Snapshots showing scenes of the Brighton Swimming Club from the Roger Dunford 16mm film collection with added soundtrack and interviews from members of the swimming club; including some oral history extracts and photographs. This was part of a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2011.
[Sunday Outing; Winter Scenes; White Cat]
Date | 1947 | ID | 9257 |
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A film with various scenes including: a group on an outing in a three-wheeled car; the film-maker's home on St Peter's Place, under heavy snow; shovelling snow and a snow ball fight; a man eating a leg of turkey; other family members; a group sledding down a hill, and portraits of a young woman with a white cat in the front garden.
[Sunday Outings: Visit to Windsor; Campbell’s Sailing from Brighton Palace Pier]
Date | 1947 - 1948 | ID | 9258 |
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An edited film showing a series of outings and leisure activities that includes: a fairground; a picnic; an outing to Windsor Castle touring the grounds; walking on the South Downs and visiting the beach below the chalk cliffs at the Severn Sisters near Eastbourne. In colour, the second part of the film shows a family boat trip, sailing from Brighton Palace pier and taking part in several sports and leisure activities.
![[Conference; Trip to Clothing Factory; Dunford Shop] (1949) [Conference; Trip to Clothing Factory; Dunford Shop] (1949)](/wp-content/uploads/films/9259/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Conference; Trip to Clothing Factory; Dunford Shop]
Date | 1949 | ID | 9259 |
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This film shows a business trip to a conference in Buxton, followed by a visit to a clothing factory "James Stewart and Son Ltd. Clothiers" with seamstresses working at benches and using steam presses. The next sequence shows a compilation that includes a steam train entering Brighton station, two men playing golf; snowy scenes of Brighton [near St. Peters Church]; the family shop in Brighton with the family posing as mannequins standing in the window.

[Father Neptune; Beach Snapshots part 3]
Date | 1950 - 1952 | ID | 9253 |
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A compilation of films made by Brighton Swimming Club member Roger Dunford, featuring swimming club members, activities and related scenes on Brighton beach from the early 1950s.
![[Father Neptune; French Riviera; Spain; Majorca] (1954) [Father Neptune; French Riviera; Spain; Majorca] (1954)](/wp-content/uploads/films/9254/image_a_thumb.jpg)
[Father Neptune; French Riviera; Spain; Majorca]
Date | 1954 | ID | 9254 |
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A compilation showing Brighton Swimming Club members on the beach, dressed in fancy dress and in drag, pretending to 'shave' other swimmers whilst pinning them down and then dunking them in the sea. The group go on a road trip visiting Monaco and Spain (Barcelona?) where they take in the sights; swim and water ski; see traditional dancers and watch a bullfight. At the airport, they film two cars being loaded onto a Bristol Freighter plane through its nose doors.
Showing 13 results.