SCHOOL TOURS AROUND NEW JERSEY

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1940s

Description:

This silent film entitled “School Tours Around New Jersey” likely dates from the late 1940s and features four schools in Paulsboro, New Jersey. The schools are the Buck Street Grade School, Loudenslacker School, Loudenslager School, and Billingsport School. The film contains footage of the schools, students, teachers, and ordinary school activities such as band performances, and sports games including hockey and American football. One interesting aspect of this film: New Jersey's State Constitution of 1947 codified the desegregation of public schools, and this film contains footage of African American and white students together. They were probably in the first echelon of desegregated schoolmates.

Sign for “Buck Street Grade School” in Paulsboro, New Jersey (00:08). Footage of the school (00:13). Children play in the school yard (00:34). African American and white children standing by the yard’s fence (00:56). They gather around a teacher in the yard (01:06). They play a game in the yard (01:11). Footage of the school children (02:07). Footage of them playing in the school yard (02:29). They play ball (03:03). The school children are running outside the school (03:07). A police officer guides the children across a street (03:10). The students walk through town (03:31). A woman crosses a street (03:44). Sign for “Loudenslacker School" in Paulsboro, New Jersey (03:48). “And Our High School 1941” sign (03:49). A raised American flag (03:52). Footage of the Loudenslacker School (03:54). Students from the high school walk past the camera (04:00). A student stands by a traffic light (05:12). Female students sitting together on a grass field (05:16). Students play outdoor hockey (05:28). A male student is baton twirling (05:39). Other students also baton twirl (05:51). The school’s band walks onto the field while playing their instruments (06:07). They align mid-field and perform while one male student baton twirls in front (06:18). Female students baton twirl to the side (06:28). The band walks off the field (06:33). Footage of students walking together (06:41). Two teachers walk out from the field (06:43). Portrait footage of one teacher (06:48). The back of a school bus (06:52). School buses parked (06:54). Students exit the school (06:57). Sign for “Loudenslager School” in Paulsboro, New Jersey (07:27). Footage of the school (07:35). A raised American flag (07:46). Footage of the school (07:49). Boy students are playing football on a field (07:52). Girl students exiting and gathering out front of the school (08:36). Boys exiting and gathering out front of the school (08:52). A guy looking out from an open window (08:57). Footage of the girls gathered outside the school (08:58). Students standing together (09:04). Students looking out from open windows (09:16). An entrance for “Girls” (09:21). Female students (09:22). Female students play outdoor hockey (09:40). Two teachers speak in a doorway (10:33). Two women walk carrying flowers and a box (10:37). Girl students (10:42). Boy students (10:52). Students play on a field (11:05). Footage of the school (11:12). Entrance for “Boys” (11:19). Boys exit the school (11:22). Students looking out open windows (11:41). Footage of boys standing outside the school (11:46). Sign for “Billingsport School” in Paulsboro, New Jersey (11:49). Footage of the school (11:54). American flag (12:00). A man (12:04). A teacher and students exit the school (12:09). A group of girls are dancing (12:18). A group of boys play football (12:30). Ring around the rosie: girls are walking in a circle holding hands as one girl stands in the middle (12:44). Boy students stand in a circle holding hands and two boys chase each other outside the circle (12:57). Students stand in circles holding hands (13:04). Walking outside the school (13:19). A teacher by the school entrance (13:46). Students walking (13:52). Students exit the school (14:02). A teacher speaks to a group of students (14:23). Students exiting and walking outside the school (14:26). American flag (15:24). Students stand in front of the school (15:28). “The End” text overlay (15:37).

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