London’s Screen Archives enables Londoners see their past come alive on film. Managed by Film London, we are a unique network of historic film collections that cares for, collects and screens heritage film across the city. Together we preserve London’s rich film heritage from feature films to home movies, public information films, newsreels, and records of the capital’s many different industries.
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Flappers in a Home Fit for Heroes to Live in
Great shots of Acton’s vast post-war office for the Ministry of Pensions under construction, followed by film of some of the 6,000 “lady pension clerks” that will work there.
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Overview
Bromyard House in Acton is shown under construction and described as the “largest building in the world”, which is some claim. It was certainly vast, built as headquarters of the Ministry of Pensions and later used by Canadian military during the Second World War. The film also introduces us to a dozen of the 6,000 “lady pension clerks” who were due to occupy the building – quite why they were identified as flappers isn’t clear – and stand nervously outside their new office.
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