Special Collections
Bert Baker book collection
The late Bert Baker, who wrote for The Morning Star and Variety (as Stuart Lane), amassed a notable collection of books relating to television and media studies. The collection of over 200 titles, mostly covering the 1970s and 1980s, has been donated to the BUFVC by his widow Betty, and has been incorporated within the main BUFVC book library.
British Movietone newsreel documents
The BUFVC holds a complete set of commentary scripts (1929-1979) for the British Movietone newsreel. The Movietone collection also includes a complete copied set of the papers of the Newsreel Association of Great Britain and Ireland (the originals are held by the British Film Institute). Access to the collection is limited at present.
British National Film and Video Catalogue documentation
When the British National Film and Video Catalogue (BNFVC) closed, the BUFVC acquired a small collection of relevant documentation. This comprises a double-sequenced file of catalogue card records compiled pre-1963 by the Scientific Film Association, twenty-four files of BNFVC logged data sheets, British Medical Association competition entry forms 1980-2000, Roving Report information sheets, and AVA Magazine (and its successor Look Hear!) 1983-1998. The main BNFVC documentation collection is held by the British Film Institute.
British Pathe newsreel documents
The BUFVC holds the entire surviving paper collection for the British Pathe newsreel and cinemagazine series, including Pathe Gazette, Pathe News and Pathe Pictorial. This includes issue sheets, commentary scripts, cameramen’s dope sheets and shot lists, as well as some business papers, and documents relating to individual film productions, footage used for television programmes, and films distributed by Pathe. Access to the collection is limited at present. There is a general inventory available. Access to the collection is limited at present.
Brook Associates programme data
The BUFVC holds production material on three historical television series made by Brook Associates: rushes and interview tapes with transcripts for The Windsors (ITV, 1994), and interviews transcripts for The Last Europeans (Channel 4, 1995) and The Churchills (ITV, 1995).
Channel 4 press releases
The BUFVC holds a complete set of press releases for Channel 4, from its inception in November 1982 to June 2002.
Clem Adelman collection
The BUFVC is represented on the board of Qualidata, a body which documents and ensures the archiving of documents relating to qualitative social studies, and the BUFVC now stores such documentation where it relates to moving pictures. This collection comprises cine films, audio tapes, transcripts and slides from Professor Adelman’s researches into teacher-pupil relations, 1970-76.
David Buckingham collection
David Buckingham’s papers cover his interviews with primary school children on their television viewing habits 1989-1991 for the project ‘The Development of Television Literacy in Middle Childhood and Adolescence’. The collection comprises interview transcripts, group interview notes, analyses and summaries. This collection is stored by the BUFVC on behalf of Qualidata.
David Samuelson papers
A major addition to the BUFVC’s newsreel documentation holdings is the papers of British Movietone News cameraman David Samuelson. These include a detailed record of his assignments with the newsreel 1947-1959, as well as other working papers and newsreel ephemera.
Margaret Leahy photograph album
Margaret Leahy was the winner of a competition organised in 1922 by the Daily Sketch newspaper and Topical Budget newsreel to find a ‘British film star’. Her prize was to star in a Hollywood feature, and her photograph album, donated to the BUFVC by her family, documents her time on set with Buster Keaton making the film THE THREE AGES (1923). An album of newspaper clippings is also held.
Mark Lewisohn television papers
The television researcher and writer Mark Lewisohn has generously donated a collection of television and radio press releases to the BUFVC, including publicity material covering all five terrestrial television channels, BBC radio and selected cable and satellite channels.
Norman Fisher collection
The late Norman Fisher was a cameraman with the British Movietone News newsreel between 1935 and 1979. The BUFVC holds his substantial photographic collection, including several albums relating to the newsreels, plus his diaries and other newsreel memorabilia.
Norman Roper collection
The late Norman Roper was a newsreel cameraman and editor, working with British Paramount News, Warwork News, Pathe News and British Movietone News. His newsreel effects have been passed on to the BUFVC, including photographs, news clippings, address books, posters and equipment.
Reg Sutton memoirs
Sound engineer Reg Sutton has generously donated a copy of his manuscript memoirs to the BUFVC. Sutton worked at the BBC from 1936, joining the British Movietone newsreel in 1946, leaving them in 1960 to join the Samuelson Film Service. The memoirs include a partial list of outside broadcasts recorded by Sutton in Newcastle 1939-1948. Sutton has also donated his assignments list for his time at Movietone.
Reuters Television newsreel documentation
In 1998 the BUFVC was offered a substantial collection of original documents, such as shot lists, dope sheets and commentary scripts, relating to the newsreels British Paramount News, Gaumont British News and Universal News. These documents now form the basis of the British Universities Newsreel Scripts Project, details of which can be found on the BUFVC’s British Universities Newsreel Database site.
Scientific Film Association
The SFA was established in 1948 and existed to encourage the production and use of scientific and industrial films. Among the founder members were Sir Arthur Elton and Edgar Anstey. The extensive archive of SFA papers was donated to the BUFVC by Dora Thomas (chairperson of the SFA) in 1984 and includes minutes, press cuttings, programmes of the London Scientific Film Society, journals of the SFA, and many other items. The BUFVC also holds the papers of Stanley Bowler, founder member of the SFA, relating to the International Scientific Film Association. Access to the collection is limited at present.
Shell Film Unit papers
A collection of scripts for documentaries produced by the Shell Film Unit, including technical details and production credits.
Slade Film History Register
The Slade Film History Register was established by filmmaker Thorold Dickinson in 1969 at the Slade Film School, and aimed to create a register of documents relating to film that would be of value to historians. Central to the Register was the gathering of data relating to newsreels, in particular copies of newsreel issue sheets from the 1910s to the 1970s. The Register came into the care of the BUFVC in 1974 and formed the basis of the British Universities Newsreel Database. The Register also includes miscellaneous documents relating to history and film.
