National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Swansea - panorama and pastiche
Swansea’s librarian records his town with affection as it arises in modern form from the ashes of WWII, but the new market still offers an old favourite – freshly-made Welsh cakes.
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Overview
Leslie M Rees, Swansea's Chief Librarian, compiled this film from footage he shot in Swansea over a period of years, adding a commentary spoken by himself. He had wanted to record Swansea rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the blitz of 1941 and to show how modern planning was creating a better designed town. He also felt that film could be a means of promoting the town as a holiday destination and so set himself the task of showing viewers “why we love our town so well”.
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