T Arts: Film

DATE: c1934-1949

LEVEL: Series

This series includes correspondence and records of the Film Council of the South West; records of a proposed scheme to establish a film library; letters from F G Thomas, Christopher Martin; and Peter Cox, early Cine Group and Film Unit records (1933-1940); later Film Unit records (-1949); films and staff; press cuttings; an inventory of Film Unit equipment, and an inventory of Film Library of the South West films. Also included are letters between William Hunter and Trust officers; a synopsis of a 35mm film about the Dartington Hall experiment; notes about film and propaganda; and administrative correspondence with Tom Stobart; records of film production costs.

Known originally as the Cine Group, the Film Unit at Dartington Hall was started in 1934 as a private experiment by William Hunter, a geography master at the Boarding School. The cinegroup was composed primarily of students and teachers making short films on low budgets. By 1939 the group had made 20 films covering geographical subjects including a study of the Galapagos islands by David Lack, bird trapping (for the British Ornithological Society), estate and school activities, timber and trees, etc. Most of these films were in wide circulation among school teachers. In 1940 the Arts Department at Dartington gave grant support to the Cine Group. In 1941 it was agreed to house and manage the small film library of the Film Council of the South West, to which were added the instructional films of the Petroleum Films Bureau. Finally the Ministry of Information established its own film library (of 16 mm non-theatrical films), for the South West at Dartington, with the result that the latter soon became an important film distribution centre drawing funds from the Treasury. In 1945 nearly 10,000 films were circulated.

At the end of 1941 William Hunter volunteered for the RAF and died two years later.

A small number of films were produced, including some Puffin films commissioned by Penguin books.

In 1946, as a result of a national conference on factual films held under the auspices of the Arts Enquiry, the Film Unit was placed on a professional footing under the direction of Tom Stobart.

By 1947 the work of the Unit was organised into two sections; Distribution and Production. Production began with several specific educational aims. The first film to be undertaken by the new unit was on the 'Artificial Insemination of Cattle' (a copy of this was reputedly donated to the National Film Archive in the 1960s but no copy was retained). Other films followed including 'Animals on the Farm', 'Coastline' and 'Dissection'. The film production section was dissolved in January 1949. The film distribution section had stopped a year earlier, when the Central Office of Information closed the South West Film Library, moving it back to London.

3 films were made for South West Peninsula: Clogg Making, Sheep Dip and Peat. Originals of these, together with all other moving film stock was passed in 1999 to South West Film and Television Archive, Royal William Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth PL1 3RP for safe-keeping. Ownership remains with The Dartington Hall Trust.
(For more information see Victor Bonham-Carter's Report to the Trustees; Dartington Hall 1925-56)

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847200
yvonne.widger@dartington.org

This information is copyright The Dartington Hall Trust