July 27, 2011

Lost and Found Films: ‘University District, circa 1965

Two young women stroll down a street that looks like University Way, dressed primly in dresses with nylons and flats (its 1965, after all). They peer into shop windows, then go into the book store, where one looks at textbooks and the other at a desk lamp. As the film ends almost three minutes later, they walk out of the store empty-handed and we see their backs as they head up the street.

And that describes the whole of this weeks Lost and Found Film, University District. It doesnt have much of a plot.

This is one of hundreds of reels of film that Hannah Palin, film archives specialist with UW Libraries Special Collections, is trying to identify for archiving purposes. She has film clips from the late 1940s through the 1970s — some from research projects, some from campus events and some from commercial films or original productions.

Palin would like to know what these women were shopping for, and why the film was made.

If you can answer these questions or provide any other information about the film, please write your comment below. When UW Today presented earlier films from Special Collections, readers provided important information, and Palin hopes shell get a similar response now.

Some previous Lost and Found Films:

June 30: Campus Color, circa 1940-48

July 6, Research at Sea

July 14: Aberdeen Gathering

July 21: Palo Alto Home