Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
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A Chinese Boat Trip and Views of Shanghai
The famous waterfront of 1930s Shanghai is the star of this tantalising film which captures the bustling street life of China's most cosmopolitain city.
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Overview
Filmed on the deck of a ship, we see child performers displaying their martial arts skills followed by crew members engaged in a lifeboat drill. A man exercises with Indian clubs. Once in Shanghai the film shows the famous Bund as well as amazing views of daily life on the bustling streets and waterfront. Traders of all sorts, some afloat, can be seen as well as washerwomen, rickshaws, junks and traffic in this remarkable snapshot of China's most cosmopolitan city.
Leslie Leigh, who made this film while on a trip to China with his wife Ellen in 1934, had dealings with the Chinese government of the time regarding the supply of bristles which were to be used in the manufacture of paint brushes.
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