The Thirties In Colour

The Thirties in Colour draws upon the world’s treasuries of extremely rare colour documentary films, many of which are from private archives and have never been seen before on television. The 1930's was a decade that erupted into colour, as photographic technology really came of age and amateur filmmakers were able to capture the world in the authentic, vibrant hues of nature. Their films would offer telling insights into a time of huge social, political, cultural and economic upheaval and a world that would never be the same again. Thought interviews and their own incredible footage, these films reveal the extraordinary stories and adventures of pioneering filmmakers including socialite Rosie Newman who filmed in locations as diverse as Egypt and India; David Glick, whose films in South America showed Jewish migrants whom he had helped to escape Nazi persecution and Harry Wright, an American industrialist who filmed in the South Pacific, South Africa, Morocco and Palestine, and made fascinating ethnographic studies in Mexico. This award-winning series features some remarkable and poignant sequences including the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret; holiday films shot by Adolf Hitler’s girlfriend, Eva Braun; rare footage of Warsaw’s Jewish quarter, just weeks before the Nazi invasion and, in London, tourists wearing gas masks amid fears of imminent bombing raids