National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
This film is part of Free
Dear Cambria
From Swansea (“its hurry and scurry, bang and rattle”) to Tenby, via Mumbles (“No, we’ll not make a joke about its name!”) and Worm’s Head (“Was there ever such a place for names?”).
From the collection of:
Overview
Dear Cambria is a "Land of Contrasts!" (as stated on opening inter-title) and this tinted & toned black and white film contains footage of a variety of places in south and west Wales. It opens with "Busy, Striving Swansea - city of toil with most soothing of names" and closes with Roch Castle, Pembrokeshire, looking gothically “grim in the gathering dusk”. In between are shots of a royal visit to the 1926 National Eisteddfod in Swansea, bardic costumes blowing in the wind.
The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) are the royal visitors and they are seen being received into the Gorsedd of Bards as "Albert o Efrog" and "Betsi o Efrog" (sadly not Bertie and Betsi), the breeze playing havoc with the bardic costumes. The Archdruid Howell Elvet Lewis [Elfed] is seen with the royal pair and receiving the ritual items - the sword, the Horn of Plenty and the Sheaf of Flowers. The film is mostly tinted but there are some tones (blue, sepia). Tinting gives the whole film – highlights and all - a wash of colour. Toning colours the silver image only (the highlights contain no silver so will not get coloured).
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