Norman’s films digitised

Ngā Taonga recently completed an exciting film preservation project, at the request of Tauranga City Libraries, to digitally preserve 18 charming short films by Tauranga film-maker Norman Blackie (1899-1993).

The films can be watched at ngataonga.org.nz Norman was a keen amateur film-maker who arrived in Tauranga with his wife, Odine, in 1942. He worked at a sawmilling company and became involved with local community groups, which led him to put his cinematography skills to use.

He captured a range of public events and celebrations for posterity. These include beauty queens performing their public duties, competitions, parades, construction works, parties and hāngī. Several of the films depict the Orange Festival, an annual event to promote Tauranga that started in 1961.

Harley Couper of Tauranga City Libraries shared these thoughts:

“What immediately grabs my eye when looking at Norman’s footage, is the size of the crowds in the backgrounds. They line the streets and fill the squares, despite a population just 10 percent of our current. Yet Norman doesn’t often focus on these crowds, their size is nothing unusual for him. For Norman it is the spectacle itself, the floats, the costumes, the games, the beauty queens and marching girls. It seems when something is happening, half of Tauranga comes out to cheer on the other half participating.”

Norman shot his films on 16mm silent film, using a Keystone

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GOT OLD PHOTOS?

If you have old school photos – or any photos of old Ōtaki – please get in touch. We’re building our archive so we can keep publishing snapshots of life when the town and district were younger. Email us, or give us a call. Include names and other information as you can. Contact debbi@idmedia.co.nz especially if you have additions or corrections to captions.

Ōtaki Yesterday 2022

The 2022 issue of historical magazine Ōtaki Yesterday has been published. The cover story features an Ōtaki resident who recalls life here in the 1930s, straight after she came out of a Dunedin orphanage. Read also about Rikiville and the old house on the highway, Kaingaraki. These stories, and lots more are in Ōtaki Yesterday. • To order copies now, email debbi@idmedia.co.nz to switch multiple lenses. It took a lot of skill to operate this camera, especially compared to a more modern video camera. The Keystone had a wind-up mechanism and ran at a usual speed of 16fps, although this was variable, and we have noticed a few instances where the film was running through the camera slightly fast or slow. The viewfinder was slightly offset from the lens so until the film was developed the film-maker couldn’t be completely sure what he had captured. n Ngā Taonga has a huge number of recordings that capture New Zealand life. They can be explored online at ngataonga.org.nz. Get the Ngā Taonga newsletter using the Sign Up button at the top of the page.

Despite all of this, the films look great, especially after digital preservation. The colours are rich, the detail is crisp, and Norman shows an eye for composition, seemingly always front and centre when something interesting was happening. The fashions, the home-made costumes, the eclectic parade floats and even dressed-up pets show a lot of individuality and creativity.

Each movie in this newly preserved collection offers a delightful window into mid-century life in a small New Zealand city.