[ANTWERP, BELGIUM travelogue]

Year Published: 1930s

Description:

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This brief travelogue film, likely one of the James Fitzpatrick "Travel Talks" series (but the main title is missing on our print), takes viewers to Antwerp, Belgium in the 1930's. Within the decade of the 1930's, Antwerp hosted the Exposition International of Colonial Maritime and Art at the 1930's World's Fair as well as the Exposition of 1930 in Liege. This was to mark 100 years of independence. Antwerp would also soon become a vital strategic location for the Allied forces in the Second World War.

This film displays culture and notable areas in Antwerp during the 1930’s and prior to the war. It opens with workers rapidly sorting potatoes into sacks (:10) as the popular food commodity was in high demand. The city is viewed from the ground level as pedestrians move over brick ground pushing wooden carts (:19). The people of Belgium were known for employing and working closely with animals. The camera zooms in on the undercarriage of the cart to note a small dog running underneath (:40). The Percheron; a draft horse common to the area, appears moving down the road with tails nearly tucked away (:57). The film notes a popular painting which immortalized the intelligent animals called "The Horse Fair" by Rosa Bonheur (1:16). Antwerp's Sunday Market is held in 'Old Antwerp' (1:27). Stalls are crammed tightly together (1:54). Vendors sell fresh vegetables and live animals (2:00) as traditionally, Belgians did not use cold storage. Puppies bounce in a crate for sale (2:33). Most people of Belgium owned pets. A young girl has a puppy bought for her by her father (2:36). One man has trained an ostrich to carry him in the same way a horse might, though the ostrich is much harder to train (2:44). It drags the cart (2:57) as cyclists follow the strange pair. The Belgian Malinois are popular for use as police dogs (3:04). One is trained with a man posing as a perpetrator in thick protective gear (3:15). The dog let's go promptly as instructed to do so (3:28). A man and two children feed a giraffe (3:40) at the Antwerp Zoo. This is located in the Centre next to the Antwerpen-Centraal Railway Station. It is the oldest animal park in the country and in the world opened on July 21, 1843. A crowd fills an open air cafe typical of the area (4:01). A server delivers beer to guests (4:11). The rare Okapi animal; also known as the forest zebra, is held at the zoo (3:51). This is one of the rarest animals in the world. The one pictured here was the only one held in captivity during this time period (5:07). A rider attaches a nose bag for feeding his horse (5:34). Equines were still largely used for transportation. A flower market (Grote Markt) is captured nearby (5:52). This market is held at the foot of the Cathedral of Our Lady (6:15). The building is of gothic structure and building began in the 14th century. The camera pans up the structure. The interior is comprised of carvings and paintings including one by Peter Paul Reuben. The belfry of the tower is comprised of forty bells (6:49). The largest weighs eight tons and consecrated 400 years prior by Charles the Fifth. The bell ringer moves up the stairs (7:01). He inspects the bells first (7:23). He approaches an old fashioned keyboard (7:45). Heavy leather finger gloves are put on for protection (7:55). He begins to ring the bells here (8:18). Hammers strike the bells creating noise (8:32). The notes of the bells melodies ring out over the city (8:48) as the film concludes.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Complete Record: This brief travelogue film, likely one of the James Fitzpatrick "Travel Talks" series (but the main title is missing on our print), takes viewers to Antwerp, Belgium in the 1930's. Within the decade of the 1930's, Antwerp hosted the Exposition International of Colonial Maritime and Art at the 1930's World's Fair as well as the Exposition of 1930 in Liege. This was to mark 100 years of independence. Antwerp would also soon become a vital strategic location for the Allied forces in the Second World War. This film displays culture and notable areas in Antwerp during the 1930’s and prior to the war. It opens with workers rapidly sorting potatoes into sacks (:10) as the popular food commodity was in high demand. The city is viewed from the ground level as pedestrians move over brick ground pushing wooden carts (:19). The people of Belgium were known for employing and working closely with animals. The camera zooms in on the undercarriage of the cart to note a small dog running underneath (:40). The Percheron; a draft horse common to the area, appears moving down the road with tails nearly tucked away (:57). The film notes a popular painting which immortalized the intelligent animals called "The Horse Fair" by Rosa Bonheur (1:16). Antwerp's Sunday Market is held in 'Old Antwerp' (1:27). Stalls are crammed tightly together (1:54). Vendors sell fresh vegetables and live animals (2:00) as traditionally, Belgians did not use cold storage. Puppies bounce in a crate for sale (2:33). Most people of Belgium owned pets. A young girl has a puppy bought for her by her father (2:36). One man has trained an ostrich to carry him in the same way a horse might, though the ostrich is much harder to train (2:44). It drags the cart (2:57) as cyclists follow the strange pair. The Belgian Malinois are popular for use as police dogs (3:04). One is trained with a man posing as a perpetrator in thick protective gear (3:15). The dog let's go promptly as instructed to do so (3:28). A man and two children feed a giraffe (3:40) at the Antwerp Zoo. This is located in the Centre next to the Antwerpen-Centraal Railway Station. It is the oldest animal park in the country and in the world opened on July 21, 1843. A crowd fills an open air cafe typical of the area (4:01). A server delivers beer to guests (4:11). The rare Okapi animal; also known as the forest zebra, is held at the zoo (3:51). This is one of the rarest animals in the world. The one pictured here was the only one held in captivity during this time period (5:07). A rider attaches a nose bag for feeding his horse (5:34). Equines were still largely used for transportation. A flower market (Grote Markt) is captured nearby (5:52). This market is held at the foot of the Cathedral of Our Lady (6:15). The building is of gothic structure and building began in the 14th century. The camera pans up the structure. The interior is comprised of carvings and paintings including one by Peter Paul Reuben. The belfry of the tower is comprised of forty bells (6:49). The largest weighs eight tons and consecrated 400 years prior by Charles the Fifth. The bell ringer moves up the stairs (7:01). He inspects the bells first (7:23). He approaches an old fashioned keyboard (7:45). Heavy leather finger gloves are put on for protection (7:55). He begins to ring the bells here (8:18). Hammers strike the bells creating noise (8:32). The notes of the bells melodies ring out over the city (8:48) as the film concludes.

Transcription

foreign for example are in demand everywhere these are carefully sorted and placed in bags for export the belgians are all fond of animals and treat them well being industrious themselves they believe in impangiable so they train them to help in drawing their hand carts around when they make their deliveries of cold and other products I have never seen one that needed urging as soon as the card starts they begin to pull with all their might and Mane just as cheerfully as if they were at Play Pride of the cotton Guild is the Percheron the most powerful draft horse in the world there are no flock of horses so their tails are always done up in a modish bob such a heavy load would ordinarily require two horses to move it but one Percheron does it with ease these famous horses have been immortalized by rules of Amer in her painting The Horse Fair which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of New York leaving the wharves I come into the streets of old Antwerp where small trolley cars timidly try to inject an air of modernism into an old-fashioned world a little further on I joined the throng in the busy Sunday market after attending early Mass the good people of Antwerp Mill around the place there greeting their friends and laying in their supplies for the week to come it is a lively scene in which all kinds and types of men and women may be seen and studied at leisure the Stalls are filled with all kinds of Wares from hairpins to live animals vegetables and fruits of their own growing are supplemented by banana fruit from distant lands the belgians don't believe in Cold Storage they insist on buying their animals alive it seems a Pity that these inoffensive bunnies are doomed to end in a stew Mother Goose in person and it seems as if she knew her picture was being taken the chickens are not much to look at but when roasted as belgians know how to roast how good every family has one or more pets puppies are very popular with a young poke this young girl Daddy bought her a Bow Wow and she seems quite happy about it this man has no dogs so he has trained an ostrich to haul him around the ostrich is powerful and requires much training before it can be relied over pays to get into an argument with an ostrich a Blow from one of its feet or a peck from its enormous Bill are enough to pull a man over we have all heard of the famous Belgian police dogs here is one on his native Heat let's watch his trainer put him through his paces [Music] here he goes stick in there stick him the dog sparring partner is properly armored so that his flesh will not be torn he would not have much of a chance in ordinary clothes now let's see how the dog is taught to obey Let Go sir come here sir come here come here lie down that's a good boy seeing so many animals reminded me that Antwerp both of one of the finest zoos in the world so I went out to investigate [Music] foreign [Music] while the zoo is a favorite Recreation ground for the good burgers of Antwerp the open air cafes are typical and are always well patronized [Music] aha this looks like beer I wonder if it is an improvement on our own 3.2 the expression on this man's face tells me that it is 100 to his liking anyway now if I can find an empty table I'll check up on him these people certainly know how to live and have a jolly good time in a Wholesome Way all right among the many rare animals in this Zoo the rarest of all is the okapi the Okapi is a species of antelope his rump and his legs are striped and white very much like a zebra the Okapi is the rarest animal in the world not more than six have ever been seen by white men and this one is the only one in captivity note it's long tongue it is all third so that it can get a hold on its food it was in pygmy land in the deepest jungle Forest of the Belgian Congo that Ericsson discovered the Okapi in 1900. I drove leisurely back to town in an Antiquated horse-dawn cab gasoline has not yet put the nose bag entirely out of business in this historical City many of these anti-diluvian vehicles still park around the place that patiently awaiting affair nearby the flower market is in full swing these gentlemen of leisure are taking a rest the while they Feast the rise on the array of gaudy colors and breathe deep of the scent-laden air and here's an Old Gentleman trying to say something it must be pleasant for he is saying it with flowers the flower market is held always at the foot of the Antwerp Cathedral the architectural Gem of the city the graceful Spire of this Gothic structure is 400 feet high the church was started in the 14th century and was finished 250 years later they certainly took their time about it but their time was well spent or they created a monument of matchless beauty the interior is enriched with carvings and paintings by great Masters notably the famous masterpiece of Peter Paul Rubens The Descent from the cross The Belfry of the tower contains one of the most famous Caravans in the world it consists of 40 Bells the largest of which weighs eight tons and was consecrated 400 years ago by Emperor Charles V and here comes the old bell ringer famed far and wide for the wonderful music that he produces with the bells that ride Aloft in the peak of the Spire without apparent effort and in spite of years he has claimed the 400 steps that lead to his keyboard this simple bell ringer with a soul of a great artist carefully and lovingly inspects his Bells before starting his concert to him they are not just inanimate metal they are like living things that are slumbering until he shall awaken them to Melody and coordinate the clanger into inspiring symphonies an old-fashioned keyboard with no Motors to help calls for hard work with both hands and feet to protect his hands he is compelled to put on heavy leather finger guards I wonder if he ever envies his son his son is now playing the Carillon in the Buck Tower in Florida where electric motors and modern devices make his tasks less athletic I should not be surprised however in love of tradition caused the old bell ring to look down on our mechanical modernism and here he goes vigorously resting glorious notes from his orchestra of Braun [Music] do not swing only the Hammers move so day after day the bell ringer Delights the countryside with the Symphonies of the great composers and endears himself to a vast audience which he never sees Echoes of his resonant Melodies follow me for many miles as I ride forth from old Antwerp in quest of new adventures [Music] foreign [Music]

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