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Moving images are a source for 20th-century social, geographical and industrial history. Historical films can offer evidence to illustrate:
- The town or village that your ancestors came from
- The kind of work that they did
- The pastimes that they would have enjoyed as children.
The Scottish Screen Archive collection within the National Library of Scotland holds amateur and professional films that reflect on the lives of ordinary people in Scotland.
Many of these films have been made by local amateur cine enthusiasts recording the life in their communities or in their workplace. They filmed crafts and working methods that have since disappeared. They also filmed events in the history of the town, such as:
- The annual gala day
- School sports
- Works outings
- Boy Scouts Church parade.
Search the film collection
You can also make an appointment to view material at the Scottish Screen Archive premises in Glasgow or in the General Reading Room at George IV Bridge in Edinburgh.