Source: Ynet
The giant newsreel archive, British Pathé, released its entire collection of 85,000 films in high resolution, to the public this week on its Youtube Channel. The films, dating from 1896 to 1976, include hundreds of newsreels from Palestine prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948. Among the treasures the archive published are videos from Israel's first years, from the time of the British Mandate into the late sixties. Some of the videos are narrated, but others are raw footage that was left discarded on the editing room floor.
“Our hope is that everyone, everywhere who has a computer will see these films and enjoy them,” says Alastair White, General Manager of British Pathé. “This archive is a treasure trove unrivalled in historical and cultural significance that should never be forgotten. Uploading the films to YouTube seemed like the best way to make sure of that.”
British Pathé was once a dominant feature of the British cinema experience, renowned for first-class reporting and an informative yet uniquely entertaining style. It is now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in existence. Spanning the years from 1896 to 1976, the collection includes footage – not only from Britain, but from around the globe – of major events, famous faces, fashion trends, travel, sport and culture. The archive is particularly strong in its coverage of the First and Second World Wars.
Among the released videos:
- Dedication of Hebrew University and speech by Earl Arthur Balfour - 1925
- US Jews protesting in New York against Arab pogroms - 1929
- Tel Aviv Jews protest British White Paper in 1939
- Holocaust survivors arrive in Haifa's port - 1946
- Holocaust survivors laid to rest in Israel
- Israel joins the UN
- Ben Gurion visits UN in New York - 1951
- First Tour of Israel Museum - 1965
- Yithak Rabin and Levi Eshkol in Western Wall - 1967