The Moving Past: A Collection of Archival Films is a website that streams century-old films for research and teaching, added 6 more films in November. This brings the total number of films available to 21. These additions add thematic depth to the resource and increase the range of industries covered by the site, which streams Canadian made films made between 1918 and 1930. Here are some short summaries of the recently added productions:
The Rugged Road to Learning (1921) follows a group of school children as they journey to their one room schoolhouse. The work of the overburdened teacher is also depicted. The film, made in 1922, is an extended narrative in favour of school consolidation, which was an important subject in early 20th century Ontario. Miners in the Making, also from 1922, explores the industrial education provided to young men by the 'Mining School' which opened in Haileybury, Ontario in 1912. The earliest film in this group, from 1919, explains how 'modern housewives' can avoid the drudgery of baking by purchasing factory made biscuits. Three films are from British Columbia. On the Skeena presents salmon fishing on the mighty Skeena River in 1922, Sawmilling from tree felling to the completed lumber, from 1930 can be seen in Old Logging Mills. The longest film on The Moving Past, To the Ports of the World Through Vancouver, is a three-part production that details the goods that shipped and the labour that was necessary to make this possible. Made for by the Harbour Commission, this production is from 1927.
The films on The Moving Past are resources for teaching and research and are available free of charge. However, donations to support the project are welcome.