OUR HISTORY

Film enthusiast John Earl (right), together with photographer Arthur George of Rushden, started the association in 1981 as the 'Northamptonshire 9.5 Group'. A few years later, due to the increase in donated films of other gauges, the group decided to change its name and in 1988 it became The Northamptonshire Film Archive Trust. Arthur and John are seen here in 1985, courtesy of the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph.

The aim of the Trust is to collect and preserve archive movie film and associated equipment for historic purposes to allow future generations to look back and see moving images of the world as it once was.

It may come as a surprise to many that, due to the changeover to digital filming by all the large film studios as well as the general public, any actual film shot on celluloid that is 10 years or older, as of 2015, is now deemed to be archive material.

Many of the films in the collection have been donated by people who realise the importance of preserving the scenes of the past and in keeping these images alive. The Trust always welcomes any new additions of film to its collection along with selected equipment.

Once described by John Earl as “the nearest thing to time travel” the collection’s oldest films show Charles Wicksteed on the opening day of Wicksteed Park, Kettering, and the working of Desborough quarries (c1908).

For a view of our past activities and events please go to our Past Programmes page.