The Projection of Britain : A History of the GPO Film Unit

The General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit sat at the creative epicentre of Britain in the 1930s. It nurtured a vital crop of artistic talent, built a forum for a new kind of cinematic address and created Britain’s first self-consciously national cinema. In 2011, UNESCO added its work to the UK Memory of the World Register, recognising its status as part of Britain’s cultural heritage. Elements of the GPO Film Unit’s story are well known: John Grierson’s development of documentary cinema; the influence of Mass Observation and Surrealism on its cinematic vision; the Watt–Auden–Britten collaboration Night Mail. The Projection of Britain: A History of the GPO Film Unit brings together primary materials and critical appraisals to revisit, re-contextualise and revitalise these seminal moments in British cinema. Here, the insights of an archivist, a musicologist, a design historian, a sports historian, a geographer and a postman – among others – have been edited into a rich critical archaeology of a compelling moment in cinematic history. Interspersed with these essays are primary materials – memoirs, magazine articles, posters and government documents – that detail everything from Alberto Cavalcanti’s vision for the documentary movement to a claim for the clothes Humphrey Jennings lost while shooting on location. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the GPO Film Unit and its work, on the big screen, in DVD boxsets and on the web. The Projection of Britain ties together the Unit’s diverse artistic, historical and cultural threads into an essential one-stop resource. Provocative, imaginative and ambitious, this expansive study is the definitive companion to an extraordinary episode in cinematic history. This Reader Provides A Comprehensive Resource Guide To The Films, Filmmakers And Social And Cultural Importance Of The Gpo Film Unit. In Addition To Original Essays By Leading Film And Cultural Historians, The Volume Reprints Rare Archival Material About The Work Of The Unit, As Well As A Gpo Filmography And Profiles Of Key Figures-- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- Contents -- 1. Acknowledgements -- 2. Introduction (chris Frayling Tbc) -- Part I: Arguments, Ideas, Issues -- 3. John Grierson And The Lost World Of The Gpo Film Unit -- Jeffrey Richards -- 4. The Gpo Film Unit And 'britishness' In The 1930s -- Scott Anthony -- 5. Gpo Films And Modern Design -- Yasuko Suga -- 6. Old Industry, New Science? The Gpo Film Unit Between Palaeotechnology And Neotechnology -- Timothy Boon -- 7. An Archivist's Perspective On The Work Of The Gpo Film Unit -- Steve Foxon -- Part Ii: Filmmakers -- 8. Alberto Cavalcanti: Lessons In Fusion At The Gpo Film Unit -- Charles Drazin -- 9. Harry Watt: On Land, At Sea, And In The Air -- Amy Sargeant -- 10. Humphrey Jennings: The Customs Of The Country -- Michael Mccluskey -- 11. Portrait Of An Invisible Man: The Working Life Of Stewart Mcallister, Film Editor -- Dai Vaughan -- 12. Job In A Million: Evelyn Spice At The Gpo -- Barbara Evans --^ 13. The Joy Of Drooling: In Praise Of Len Lye -- Kevin Jackson -- Part Iii: Key Documents From The History Of The Gpo Film Unit -- Part Iv: Aesthetics -- 14. Rhythm, Modernity And The Politics Of Sound -- James G. Mansell -- 15. Voiceover/commentary -- Martin Stollery -- 16. National Identity, The Gpo Film Unit And Their Music -- E. Anna Claydon -- 17. Technology The Gpo Film Unit -- Leo Enticknap -- 18. Modern Art And Design In 1930s Britain: Contexts And Legacies Of The Documentary Film -- Paul Rennie -- Part V: The Gpo Film Unit And Telecommunications Culture -- Part V: Films -- 19. 'go The Way The Material Calls You': Basil Wright And The Song Of Ceylon -- Jon Hoare -- 20. The Horsey Mail: Documentary As Landscape -- David Matless -- 21. The Gpo At Play: What's On Today And Spare Time -- Richard Haynes -- 22. The Silent Village: The Gpo Film Unit Goes To War -- Wendy Webster -- 23. Visualising The World: The British Documentary At Unesco -- Zoe Druik --^ 24. Counterpoints And Counterparts: Film At The Post-war Gpo -- Patrick Russell -- Part Vi: The Gpo Film Unti And The Modern Post Office -- 25. Postscript -- Roy Mayall -- 26. Filmography -- 27. Notes On The Contributors. Edited By Scott Anthony And James G. Mansell. A Bfi Book Published By Palgrave Macmillan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Filmography. Machine generated contents note: Contents 1. Acknowledgements 2. Introduction (Chris Frayling tbc) PART I: ARGUMENTS, IDEAS, ISSUES 3. John Grierson and the lost world of the GPO Film Unit Jeffrey Richards 4. The GPO Film Unit and 'Britishness' in the 1930s Scott Anthony 5. GPO films and modern design Yasuko Suga 6. Old industry, new science? The GPO Film Unit between palaeotechnology and neotechnology Timothy Boon 7. An archivist's perspective on the work of the GPO Film Unit Steve Foxon PART II: FILMMAKERS 8. Alberto Cavalcanti: lessons in fusion at the GPO Film Unit Charles Drazin 9. Harry Watt: on land, at sea, and in the air Amy Sargeant 10. Humphrey Jennings: the customs of the country Michael McCluskey 11. Portrait of an invisible man: the working life of Stewart McAllister, film editor Dai Vaughan 12. Job in a Million: Evelyn Spice at the GPO Barbara Evans 13. The joy of drooling: in praise of Len Lye Kevin Jackson PART III: KEY DOCUMENTS FROM THE HISTORY OF THE GPO FILM UNIT PART IV: AESTHETICS 14. Rhythm, modernity and the politics of sound James G. Mansell 15. Voiceover/Commentary Martin Stollery 16. National identity, the GPO Film Unit and their music E. Anna Claydon 17. Technology the GPO Film Unit Leo Enticknap 18. Modern art and design in 1930s Britain: contexts and legacies of the documentary film Paul Rennie PART V: THE GPO FILM UNIT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CULTURE PART V: FILMS 19. 'Go the way the material calls you': Basil Wright and The Song of Ceylon Jon Hoare 20. The Horsey Mail: documentary as landscape David Matless 21. The GPO at play: What's On Today and Spare Time Richard Haynes 22. The Silent Village: the GPO Film Unit goes to war Wendy Webster 23. Visualising the world: the British documentary at Unesco Zoë Druik 24. Counterpoints and counterparts: film at the post-war GPO Patrick Russell PART VI: THE GPO FILM UNTI AND THE MODERN POST OFFICE 25. Postscript Roy Mayall 26. Filmography 27. Notes on the contributors.