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The Federation of Soroptimist Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland Tenth Annual Conference, Buxton

Female members of the Soroptimist organisation congregate in the Derbyshire town of Buxton for their annual conference.

Amateur film 1939 12 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

With many fur stoles and hatboxes in evidence the members of the Soroptimists Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland converge on Buxton for their annual conference. The vivid Kodachrome brings to life period details often overlooked by today's costume drama makers. The complex paintwork of the entrance steps to Buxton Pavilion and the array of hats as the ladies take tea are a reminder of the small details often lost to history and fading black and white photographs.

The filmmaker was Florence Juckes who was the managing director of Frank Juckes Ltd, a Birmingham firm of printers. She took over the role from her father on his death in 1926. At that time she was the only female member of the Joint Industrial Council in Birmingham. Soroptimist International originates in the United States and is an organisation in which professional women can volunteer to improve the lives of underprivileged women and girls around the world.