Yorkshire Film Archive - Cave Rescue

[JAA]

Having a bit of a wander around the internet the other day and found the full length Cave Rescue film produced by the Upper Wharfedale Team in the '60's. Not something i'd seen elsewhere so thought i would share!
http://www.yfaonline.com/yfapublic/assetDetails.cfm?film=2248&keyword=cave&fromSearchValue=fromKeyword&start=1

[SamT]

Good find 

[langcliffe]

We've found some colour Ely Simpson film from the early 1950s that we are hoping to make available through the same organisation.

[JJ]

Good find

This link is also good, although not rescue. Good sequence descending Allum Pot 1937

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=10996

Various other caving/potholing films if you search the Pathy News site (sorry if already posted)

[paul]

Yes - thanks for letting us know!

[JAA]

No problem! 

[SamT]

Hmm - like the "Audio Archives" - it would be great to have a dedicated/secure repository for vid also. (guess there are huge copyright issues    )

I guess at the very minimum, a thread on these forums with links to various bits of film already on-line.

[Robert Scott]

Posted by Steve Kirk on the CPC forum

just noticed a pair of films on the pathe news archive from 1963

geoff Workman preparing to go underground at stump cross (issued 20th June
1963)

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43409

and him returning to the surface 105 days later (issued 3rd September)

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43699

[robjones]

The 1963 Cave Rescue film is really well-filmed and its good to see the stills at the end of the cameraman and assiatants in action. The lighting must have been a real task. To modern cave photographers' eyes, its often over-lit, but for the general audience it was intended for, the lighting was probably about right. Hopefully it helped get the message across that 'cavers rescue cavers' and that it does not cost the taxpayer. Indicative of the time it was made was the casualty having a fag as soon as the stretcher got to surface!   

[graham]

The 1963 Cave Rescue film is really well-filmed and its good to see the stills at the end of the cameraman and assiatants in action. The lighting must have been a real task. To modern cave photographers' eyes, its often over-lit, but for the general audience it was intended for, the lighting was probably about right. Hopefully it helped get the message across that 'cavers rescue cavers' and that it does not cost the taxpayer. Indicative of the time it was made was the casualty having a fag as soon as the stretcher got to surface!

Off topic, I know, but too much "modern cave photography" is woefully under-lit.

In my opinion of course.

[robjones]

To modern cave photographers' eyes, its often over-lit, but for the general audience it was intended for, the lighting was probably about right. 

Off topic, I know, but too much "modern cave photography" is woefully under-lit.

In my opinion of course.

In my documentary photography mines, I tend to what in cave photography is considered over-lit, as I seek to record rather than to create drama. Horses for courses - but yes I agree, fashion has changed with regard  to lighting in cave photography - at least for photos intended to be judged by fellow cavers, who expect an image that looks like what they see with a couple of cap lamps.

[graham]

... fellow cavers, who expect an image that looks like what they see with a couple of cap lamps.

Is that a couple of Fx2s or a couple of Scurion Ks? 

[robjones]

Good point!     Maybe light levels in photos will start to rise again now LEDs are getting so efficient!   

[Goydenman]

Great links especially the 1964 UWFRA one shot in Goyden and Hell Hole. The shot of the PC looking at  the Goyden survey is fascinating as the survey does not show Mud Hall - so presumably that was found later. Does anyone out there have that version of the survey?
It was nice to watch a cave video with enough light to see something 

[mikem]

Original link no longer works as it has moved to:
http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=cave&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC

Now includes reels 1 to 3 of Eli Simpson's Birth of a Yorkshire River (1953), Underground Eiger (1979), Fell Beck & Gaping Gill (made by CPC in 1963), Settle Limes Ltd quarrying (1949) and a couple of rambling films.

[mikem]

The British Pathe links also don't work, but can be found amongst others:
https://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/potholing

More can be found here:
https://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/caving

[Boy Engineer]

There are some gems in this archive. Good film of spar mining in Weardale, for the fans of man-made stuff.