[Amberley: A Working Museum Part One]
- Details
- Contextual Information
- ID no. 7236
- Accession no. SE 070321
| Date | [1997?] | ||||||
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| Production | B. C. Suter | ||||||
| Genre/Type | |||||||
| Themes | Working Life; Transport | ||||||
| Summary | Part One [?] of an hour long film, showing the sights and sounds of Amberley Museum, its working machinery demonstrated by the people working there, and the objects and machines on display. The film was produced in around 1997 by amateur filmmaker B. C. Suter, who narrates the film, enthuses over every detail of the museum's collection, from its narrow gauge railway, Leyland bus and water pump, to the contents of its iron mongers, pipe making shop, print shop, metal cutting shop and wireless museum. Sound recorded on site occurs throughout the film. | ||||||
| Description | 'To treat the lime, a fire was lit at the bottom of a bottle-shaped kiln,' explains Suter, whose narration continues throughout. A diagram of the kiln, where coal and lime is loaded from the top and shoveled out from the draw holes, is shown. 'Now to the audiovisual centre to find out more about the working history of the museum's site,' he says. The main area of the museum, with a large queue at the bus shelter, is seen. Children and their teachers, on visits to the museum, stand together. The 1920 Southdown Leyland N type bus leaves for a trip around the site and up to Brockham. Other visits sit on benches dotted around the site. The Dando wind water pump, from Pulborough Station, dominates the scene. The museum's director, Robert Taylor, speaks to camera; 'Amberley Museum was founded in 1979 to preserve the industrial history of south east England. We hope that you will find a visit to us both informative and enjoyable.' The newly restored 1914 Tilling Stevens petrol electric double decker is also seen. Groups of visitors sit beside the small pump house building. Steps lead up to the clay pip makers shop and lime kilns, white pit and paviours museum. 'How were wooden tyres fitted on to iron cart wheels?,' asks the filmmaker, 'Answer: circular synching platforms!' The equipment is seen and process explained by Suter. The iron monger is shown at work, curling pieces of iron work. David Cooper's pipe making shop is visited next, where he makes pipes using original moulds. Mr. Cooper explains how the pipes are made, with encouragement from the filmmaker, taking a pinch of clay. Once rolled out, he puts a wire up the stem of the pipe, bends the end over to fit the mould, pushes the clay into the mould before putting the two halves into the press, trims the excess clay off and opens the mould to reveal a clay pipe. Some of the pipes are seen on display, which visitors can buy on their visit. Some exhibit faces. The locomotive shed, full of engines, is shown. Tom Parker works at the print shop. He draws a spitfire in great detail, to be produced as a metal dye by a specialist. At the print shop, prints are on display for the visitors. Printing machines include the Colombian Eagle of the Victorian era, to others made a few years ago. Smaller printing machines, used in the home and on the railways, are on display. Mr. Parker uses the Colombian Eagle press. He first places the spitfire block into the wooden block and inks it up before placing the paper squarely on top. He winds the press down to make the print. Another worker sits at the linotype hot metal machine, which makes its own metal type for use in the presses. He examines the type before it is tidied up and cleaned. Audrey Stevens demonstrates copperplate printing. She inks the plate up and wipes of the surface ink with a ball of scrim and a piece of tissue paper. Once on the press, she places a piece of damp paper and three layers of woolen blankets over the inked plate. She shows the camera the finished print once she has wound the plate through the press. The metal machine shop contains a drawing office, adding machine, easels and drawing boards, main workshop full of machines, including the metal cutting lathes. The metal cutting lathe is demonstrated by a worker at the museum, cutting a new sleeve for a railway axle. The metal planing machine is seen and heard, working noisily in the workshop. The machines are run from a flat belt line shafting to one large motor, explains Suter. Large traction engines and road rollers and smaller engines are seen, at work generating electricity for domestic use. A worker keeps the current and voltage steady at the control panel. The machines are seen in close up footage, and heard in recorded sound. Chalky, the museum cat, kept to keep the site free of vermin, takes a nap in the sun. A worker demonstrates a traction engine to a group of children. Another group look into the boat builders shop through the doorway, where Don is working. A photograph of a boat under construction is shown. Don puts the finishing touches to the boat, using a screwdriver to drive screws into the wood. Amberley narrow gauge railway station, a single platform at the back of the wireless museum. A train makes the half mile journey to Brockham, between the woods and the white cliffs. Passengers wave to the camera from the carriage as they passes along the track. A partially loaded diesel train leaves Brockham Station, on its way back to Amberley. A group of school children rush to board the train at Amberley station, where the guard gives the off. Transmitting sets and equipment, the museum's own transmitter, and a mock up of the inside of a bomber, radio sets, amplifiers, tape recorders, loud speakers and accessories are on display at the wireless museum. Television sets and radiograms are also shown, on display at the museum. 'Now onto the wood turners and timber yard...' Titles for the film are assumed to be found in other footage held at SASE. |
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| Keywords | Labour; Industry; Buildings; Education; Outings; Motor Vehicles; Trains; Transport; Visual Arts; Workers; Rural Areas; Railways; Passenger Vehicles; Local History; Cultural Heritage; Trades | ||||||
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| Credits |
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| Format | |||||||
| Duration | 25 mins 47 secs | ||||||
| Viewing copy location |
Screen Archive South East, University of Brighton | ||||||
| This material is protected by copyright. Contact Screen Archive South East for access details. |