Vintage film, TV, documents, and photographic footage from down the years

[Tintin]

Some posts here, that do have value, I've now moved to Culture and The Human Condition > History > Debunking Romantic Ideas About the Past, which seems to me at least to be a better place than here.

Although genuinely of interest in many instances, can I please make a gentle request that X/Twitter embed content is reduced to an absolute minimum, or ideally not at all; I do not want to discourage contributions though. There are ways to include images - as I have done - attached to any X content that fits the theme and vibe being encouraged here, and a link to the source can always be provided with any relevant text.

*I really don't want to see this thread start to look like X/Twitter feed, and I rather suspect many who do visit here may feel similarly. If you do want to see material presented like that, please log-on to Twitter.

Thankyou for your consideration

[Tintin]

1847 opening manuscript to Jane Eyre sourced via Nick Holland on X

Description:

The handwritten opening of the manuscript of Jane Eyre. It was on this day (August 24th) 1847 that Charlotte Bronte sent it to the publisher Smith, Elder & Co, and her life would never be the same again.

[Tintin]

Posted by Tintin (here)
1847 opening manuscript to Jane Eyre sourced via Nick Holland on X

Description:

The handwritten opening of the manuscript of Jane Eyre. It was on this day (August 24th) 1847 that Charlotte Bronte sent it to the publisher Smith, Elder & Co, and her life would never be the same again.

And there's an entire article which I've just linked to on a dedicated site too

The Manuscript Of Jane Eyre
Source: https://www.annebronte.org/2026/08/2...-of-jane-eyre/
Date: August 23rd, 2026

Sometimes, a little thing can change the world – such as a manuscript that arrived in the hands of George Smith on 24th August 1847. You may have guessed that it was the manuscript of Jane Eyre, and today we’re going to look at a first hand account of its arrival and reception.

Interspersed throughout this post are images from that very manuscript, in the handwriting of Charlotte Brontë herself. In her letters to Ellen Nussey, Charlotte often asks Ellen to excuse her ‘scrawl,’ but in fact having read hundreds of examples of it I’ve always found Charlotte’s handwriting to be neat and legible – all the more remarkable considering the manuscript was written by quill pen, and often the famously short sighted author was writing by candlelight. These images are from the original copy now held by the British Library but they note on their website that: ‘We have been unable to contact the copyright holder for Fair copy manuscript of Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.”’ As the copyright holder died 171 years ago, that may prove a fruitless task.

The following account is also long out of copyright, as it comes from Charlotte’s publisher George Smith. In his memoir Smith also reveals how he had offered employment as publishing assistant to W. S. Williams who at that point, in Smith’s words, was a bookkeeper whose ‘gifts were of a most primitive character.’



With Williams’s letter accepting the position came a slip of paper from a certain Currer Bell, saying they would soon be sending a new novel for the firm’s perusal (after previously sending them the manuscript of The Professor which they, like everyone else, had rejected.) For what happened next let’s turn to George Smith himself:

‘In reply to Mr. Williams’s letter came a brief note from Currer Bell, expressing grateful appreciation of the attention which had been given to the MS. [manuscript], and saying that the author was on the point of finishing another book, which would be sent to us as soon as completed.

The second MS. was Jane Eyre. Here again Currer Bell’s suspicion as to the excessive parsimony of London publishers in regard to postage-stamps found expression in the letter accompanying the MS. She wrote:

“I find I cannot prepay the carriage of the parcel, as money for that purpose is not received at the small station where it is left. If, when you acknowledge the receipt of the MS., you would have the goodness to mention the amount charged on delivery, I will immediately transmit it in postage-stamps.”

The MS. of Jane Eyre was read by Mr. Williams in due course. He brought it to me on a Saturday, and said that he would like me to read it. There were no Saturday half-holidays in those days, and, as was usual, I did not reach home until late. I had made an appointment with a friend for Sunday morning; I was to meet him about twelve o’clock, at a place some two or three miles from our house, and ride with him into the country. After breakfast on Sunday morning I took the MS. of Jane Eyre to my little study, and began to read it. The story quickly took me captive. Before twelve o’clock my horse came to the door, but I could not put the book down.

I scribbled two or three lines to my friend, saying I was very sorry that circumstances had arisen to prevent my meeting him, sent the note off by my groom, and went on reading the MS. Presently the servant came to tell me that luncheon was ready; I asked him to bring me a sandwich and a glass of wine, and still went on with Jane Eyre. Dinner came; for me the meal was a very hasty one, and before I went to bed that night I had finished reading the manuscript.



The next day we wrote to Currer Bell accepting the book for publication. I need say nothing about the success which the book achieved, and the speculations as to whether it was written by a man or a woman. For my own part I never had much doubt on the subject of the writer’s sex; but then I had the advantage over the general public of having the handwriting of the author before me. There were qualities of style, too, and turns of expression, which satisfied me that Currer Bell was a woman, an opinion in which Mr. Williams concurred. We were bound, however, to respect the writer’s anonymity, and our letters continued to be addressed to Currer Bell, Esq. Her sisters were always referred to in the correspondence as Messrs. Ellis and Acton Bell.’

Many readers today know just how Smith felt, as we find it equally unputdownable. Happy Jane Eyre Day one and all tomorrow, and I hope you can join me next week for another new Brontë blog post.

[grapevine]

When Benito Mussolinis Wife Was Executed and the Footage Leaked!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sCtkJVxpKh8

20:10

Reassuring Note: There are no gory photographs (like the thumbnail) as hinted at in the heading which imo is clickbait.

"When Benito Mussolini's regime was crumbling in the final days of World War II, most of his closest supporters fled or turned against him. But one woman decided not to do that. That single decision cost her everything, and what happened next was captured on camera, becoming one of the most disturbing endings in modern history."

The above paragraph in "" is what came with the video but the footage shows a lot more history about Italy during WW2 and Mussolini himself. most of which I had no idea about. My mother told me that Mussolini was hung, drawn and quartered and that his girlfriend was tarred and feathered, (both horrible practices but a little at odds with the evidence in this video), but I've often wondered why they suffered such a violent end while Hitler and many top brass nazis were allowed to escape. Wonder too about the oft-mentioned UFO which crashed in Italy in 1933 and whether he wouldn't give it up (ie whether it was a contributory reason for his awful death). Would be interested to hear PA member views on this

[Tintin]

Early 1970s photograph of the World Trade Center towers



A quite eerie yet fascinating shot, which many have seen, of WTC1 and WTC2, which has been described really well, here, via Archaeo_Histories on X:

There was a time when you could see the core structure of the twin towers....

In the early 1970s, New Yorkers witnessed a surreal sight: the skeletal cores of the World Trade Center towers piercing the skyline before their outer walls were completed. The image shows the “core structure” — the massive steel spine that housed elevators, stairwells, and utilities — bathed in the glow of a setting sun.

Each tower’s core was a fortress of 47 steel columns, built to bear much of the building’s vertical load. Around it, a perimeter of 59 steel columns on each face created the towers’ distinctive facade. For a brief window during construction, the cores rose high above the city, exposed like the ribs of a colossal machine.

Within just a few months, those skeletal frames would vanish behind aluminum cladding and glass, transforming into the iconic Twin Towers. But for those who saw them in this unfinished state, it was a rare glimpse of the engineering heart of what would become two of the most recognizable buildings in the world.

[Tintin]

Photographs of the Windows On The World restaurant World Trade Center North Tower 1

Pictures were taken in the weeks and months before the tragic events of 9/11. Some of these I think were featured as well in the moving and poignant 9/10 The Final Hours documentary

Described, here:

Konstantin Petrov was an Estonian immigrant who worked the overnight shift as an electrician at Windows of the World at the top of the World Trade Center North Tower.

He loved photography and wandered the complex with his camera, taking hundreds of photographs in the days leading up to 9/11.

____________________________

More of his reasonably vast catalogue can be viewed via an Estonian media site:

https://public.fotki.com/kostic/worl...n_the_world-4/

[Ewan]

I suspect most people hearing the name REO Speedwagon would think of the music band.

Well, for those that didn't know (including me!), it was a real vehicle and very popular it proved to be.



At this link is an 8 minute read on the man who created it and his overall career. He was also responsible for the Oldsmobile car model and was an early Ford competitor.

[Ewan]

Various photo's....



At Surrey Docks, in Rotherhithe, south-east London, diver Alfred Yates is seen in 1930 preparing to put on his metal helmet before going underwater to carry out repairs

If you can't see this one try web address.


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Inside the World's Fair building, Paris.


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Mid 1860's steep street unknown locations





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Dog Leap Stairs, Newcastle upon Tyne
Still exists today but all of those buildings have long been transformed if not demolished with new taking their place.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Britain as it was 65 years ago. Amazing to see the "progress" we have made.

I note not one scruffy person, not one obese person, not one homeless person, not one loitering delinquent, busker or beggar -- not a single graffitied wall or scrap of litter.

====
Charming, tranquil and moving from memory to history. London 65 years ago. A beautiful film taken from a car window in 1961.

https://x.com/bo66ie29/status/2100177295746928726

[gini]

EAST OF BOMBAY" 1930s ARMAND DENIS TRAVELOGUE OF INDIA BOMBAY, JUGGERNAUT FESTIVAL

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_AD15Lihmcw

--"East of Bombay" is a circa 1939 India travelogue made by famed filmmaker/adventurers Armand Denis and Leila Roosevelt, originally released circa 1942 and then re-released by Chrysler as travelogue/promo film in the early 1950s. The film shows a trip through India, exploring the native culture and religious celebrations. The film was originally released under the title "Wheels Across India".

0:00 Main titles. Bombay Harbor: The film opens with the sun rising over Bombay. Primitive ships, including Arab dhows, fill the harbor.
2:12 Cows and Crafts: Life is sacred, especially the cow. Workshops show patience-intensive labor, producing exquisite ivory carvings and gems. Illiterate workers weave intricate rugs based on a foreman's verbal instructions.
4:03 Maharajas' Palace: The wealth of the palace, built by slave labor, contrasts sharply with India's poverty. The prince is seen playing pachisi.
4:43 Indian Magic: Magicians perform the "bird trick," producing live birds from an empty, covered basket.
6:12 Taj Mahal: The film notes the Taj Mahal as an architectural wonder, built by Shah Jahan for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
6:59 Poverty and Agriculture: Most of India's 350 million live in poverty, dependent on bullock-drawn irrigation.
7:48 Climbing the Himalayas: The journey leaves the plains, moving to the lower Himalayas. The crew uses Dodge cars until the trails end.
9:05 Trek by Horse: The journey continues on horseback toward 18,000-foot passes, along perilous ledges.
9:43 Tibetan Monastery: The destination is a great Tibetan monastery, reached by a precarious bridge of ropes.
10:21 The monastery is deserted due to a great festival. Local women are seen weaving.
11:19 Prayer Wheels: Entrances are lined with prayer wheels (some water-driven), which send a prayer to heaven with each revolution.
12:23 Mass Dance Ritual: Monks perform a religious mass dance in the courtyard, preceded by the solemn entrance of the High Priest.
15:12 River Return: The crew attempts the dangerous return trip by floating down a mountain river on a raft made of inflated goat skins.
16:03 Holy City of Benares (Varanasi): The crew visits the holy city by boat, observing devout Hindus performing ritualistic ablutions at the ghats (bathing places) along the Ganges.
17:45 Burning Ghats: Death in Benares is considered sacred. Bodies are carried to the burning ghats, dipped in the Ganges, and cremated. A lighted torch is passed over the head to release the spirit. Ashes are swept into the river.
19:55 Juggernaut Festival: The spectacle of the Juggernaut involves huge, heavy chariots being dragged by hordes of devotees. British rule stopped the mass suicides under the wheels.
21:06 Thaipusam Ceremonial: In South India, a strange ceremonial of Thaipusam is shown, where participants drive long metal skewers through their cheeks and tongues without bleeding or showing pain, entering a religious frenzy.
23:21 Ceylon (Sri Lanka): The film contrasts the poverty of India with the "lovely smiling island" of Ceylon, famous for spices.
24:12 Negombo Village: The crew visits Negombo to see fishermen and local women making fine handmade lace.
25:20 Perahera Procession: Devil dancers rehearse for the great Perahera procession in Kandy, where up to 125 gorgeously attired elephants participate.
26:57 The procession features the High Priest carrying the golden casket containing the "Tooth of Buddha" relic on the largest elephant. The End.

[Tintin]

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge by train

This amazing piece of footage was filmed in 1899 and it is not AI

[mountain_jim]

Really found that interesting as my brother rides his bicycle over that bridge regularly these days - while I avoid being anywhere near population centers such as that one.