For 20 years, husband and wife, Betty and Cyril Ramsden, recorded the world around them. In particular they captured middle class life in the north of England.
The couple enjoyed a comfortable existence in Leeds where Cyril worked as a dentist. They devoted much of their life to making mini documentaries using a 16mm camera. Their rich celluloid legacy challenges the clichéd view of 50s Britain as a decade of dreariness.
While the post-war period is known for its hardship, austerity and rationing, the Ramsden films reveal a northern middle class enjoying parties, holidays at home and abroad, country shows and days out.
The couple also captured images of the busy docks in Hull, celebrations to mark the Queen’s coronation, the last tram leaving Leeds and civic sporting events that attracted thousands of spectators at a local park. Most of the footage is colour and of exceptional quality.
The programme includes an interview with a Yorkshire archivist and a social historian. Both talk about the special value of such footage. As far as we know, Betty and Cyril never set out to record a ‘social history’. However, their legacy is just that, an account of middle class life in post-war northern England.
First broadcast: Friday 14 Jan 2005 on BBC FOUR
Nation On Film in more depth:
OU on the BBC: Nation On Film - About the series
Production team
This BBC/Open University series delves into Britain’s past to look at the country’s history as captured on film over the last 100 years. Read more : OU on the BBC: Nation On Film - About the series
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Fred Davies explores the interfaces between cinema, culture and history. Read more : Film and society
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Used with permission
When you use film as a historical source, explains Douglas Allen, you must first understand the person behind the camera. Read more : Behind the camera
Film Archives
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A listing of British and Irish film archives Read more : Film Archives
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First and second series of Nation On Film
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Visit bbc.co.uk for full details of the first and second series, and a vast library of film footage for you explore. Read more : First and second series of Nation On Film
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