British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Film and the Historian

Exploring the Work of the InterUniversity History Film Consortium (IUHFC)

The InterUniversity History Film Consortium (IUHFC) pioneered the study and use of film in history. Founded in 1968 by John Grenville and Nicholas Pronay at the University of Leeds, the IUHFC made sixteen films, all accompanied by detailed booklets produced by historians such as John Ramsden, Tony Aldgate and Philip Taylor. These films, mainly utilising newsreel footage, included themes ranging from Stanley Baldwin and The Labour Party to The Spanish Civil War and Fascism.

This site explores the significance of this legacy through articles, documents and the films themselves. All content delivered from this site is copyright of the BUFVC/IUHFC and underlying rights owners. It may be accessed by bona fide authenticated staff and students at UK universities and colleges for educational and/or research use. Associated catalogue data and information is offered for wide access without charge.

About the Consortium

Read contemporary articles that discuss the progress of the IUHFC, how film should be used in teaching & the relationship between education and film archives.

The Films

Watch the sixteen films produced by the Consortium and see how historians used archive material to examine key events, topics and personalities of the twentieth century.

Digitisation Project

The project team describe some of the challenges and processes involved in the selection, digitisation and publication of moving image and text for an academic audience.