North West Film Archive (NWFA) at Manchester Metropolitan University has released a moving compilation of film from their collection, showcasing how people in the region have celebrated coronations throughout history.
Released to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, the film features local landmarks in the North West and gives viewers a glimpse into a bygone era, showing the costumes and clothes, people socialising and dancing, and enjoying the food of the time.
The team from the archive have created a fascinating two minute edit of footage set to stirring music that shows local people celebrating the coronations of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
Iconic landmarks in Manchester city centre are shown, beautifully decorated to mark the historic occasion, including Manchester Town Hall, Manchester Central Library – home to NWFA – and Piccadilly Gardens.
Colourful parades and marching bands make their way through crowd-lined streets in Liverpool city centre and in Great Harwood, Lancashire.
In Ashton-under-Lyne, schoolchildren can be seen receiving their souvenirs of coronation mugs and medals, while the town hall and market stalls are decorated to mark the special occasion.
Flags, bunting, and decorations fill the streets of Bootle in North Liverpool in 1953, the Priory housing estate in Birkenhead in 1937, and Bengal Street in Ashton-under-Lyne as joyful scenes of parties and celebrations get underway.
Some of the footage featured in the film has never been seen before including the celebratory scenes in Liverpool and Birkenhead.
Geoff Senior, Access Co-Ordinator at the North West Film Archive, said: “It’s a wonderful chance to be able to look back at this material and see how our families and communities came together and celebrated these huge events, especially in what, like now, were quite tough times.
“It will be fascinating to see if those celebrating this time choose to film their events and pass them to the archive for us to look back on in years to come. The work of collecting material for the archive continues so we can hopefully leave just as rich a legacy as those before us.”
Part of Manchester Metropolitan University, the North West Film Archive (NWFA) is based within Manchester Central Library Archives+ partnership and is a specialist resource dedicated to saving and growing the region’s rich filmed history.
From historical footage and home movies to newsreels and adverts, the NWFA preserves and shares over 50,000 items of film and video, for public, educational, and professional use.
Elsewhere, the University’s Special Collections Museum holds a range of commemorative objects, photographs and printed materials in its collection relating to the coronations of Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Highlights include a commemorative mug designed by Eric Ravilious in 1936 for Josiah Wedgwood and Sons. Originally designed for the coronation of Edward VIII, it was replicated in blue for the coronation of King George VI and in pink for Queen Elizabeth II.
Also in the collection, The Bairn’s Coronation Book by Clare Bridgman and Charles Robinson (1902) features beautiful colour illustrations to commemorate the coronation of King George VI.
