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
Rhondda and Wye
The clear waters of the River Wye and the rural areas it flows through offer a stark contrast to the industrialised Rhondda where the River Taff runs black with coal dust.
From the collection of:
Overview
A potted history of agriculture and coal mining, contrasting the course of the River Wye, as it flows through rural areas from Pumlumon to the sea at Chepstow, and the industrialised Rhondda where the River Taff runs black with coal dust. The Treforest Trading Estate, a new venture, proves that times are a-changing, with light industry now offering alternative jobs for both men and women in the valleys.
This film includes footage from films ‘The Silent Village’ (a Crown Film Unit Production, 1943) and ‘To-day We Live – a film of life in Britain’ (produced by the Strand Film Company, 1937). This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.
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