Set up in 1977, the North West Film Archive preserves moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria and offers a variety of access services to users in the public, academic and commercial sectors.
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Hat from a Rabbit
How Stockport got ahead in hatting - the story of the rise and fall of a North West industry.
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Overview
This quirky and informative film was shot during the last days of the once-mighty Stockport hatting industry. It reveals how the town's hat manufacturers flourished in the 19th century, but then came the 20th century decline in hat wearing. This decline would lead to the end of hat making in Stockport, but here we see some of the traditional hat making processes - a fine record of a lost industry.
This film was produced by undergraduate film students at Manchester Polytechnic, now Manchester Metropolitan University.
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