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Bruce Robertson reel 2

London Zoo and little babies feature in this home movie that shows domestic life in south London as well as shots of lion cubs, penguins and polar bears.

Amateur film 1944 14 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for London's Screen Archives

Overview

While this home movie – shot in the years following the Second World War – largely shows children playing in suburban gardens, there are also scenes from London, including one surprising shot of a lion cub being cuddled by visitors to London Zoo. Penguins and polar bears also feature, but the bulk of the footage concerns garden life in Merton Park and Morden, at the homes where Bruce Robertson’s parents and grandparents lived. Also shows holidays on unnamed beaches.