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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Brighton - scenes of the West Pier
Brighton's West Pier begins its sad decline into decay and destruction in this fascinating colour film from B C Suter
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Overview
B C Suter's unique film captures the start of Brighton's West Pier's decline and decay. Panning across the structure we already see warning signs though a solitary figure can be seen walking on the dilapidated pier. The camera captures how the pier is cut off from the promenade while cranes and skips hint that the demolition process has already begun. We also see a Trade Union march towards the Brighton Conference Centre as well as a speech being given to an assembled crowd.
Barrett Courtney Suter was born in 1909 and developed a strong interest in film, television, railways and local history before taking up the hobby of film making. Most of his eclectic collection of films were made between the 1950s and the 1990s. In addition to using the more usual amateur film formats, he was able to shoot films in a Cinemascope aspect ratio using modified cameras and lenses. Using this format, Suter produced an interesting series of films chronicling the development of Amberley Working Museum in West Sussex.
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