February 25, 2010
Chopping, sawing and sitting around: Film shows life in Pack Forest in 1949
Editor’s Note: The UW Audio Visual Services Materials Library has more than 1,200 reels of film from the late 1940s through the early 1970s, documenting life at the University through telecourses, commercial films and original productions. Some of the short films are easily identifiable, but many more remain mysteries. Who shot these films and why? Can you help answer those questions? Faculty and staff can use the comments field at the end of the story to send ideas. Those outside the University can e-mail filmarc@u.washington.edu.
This week’s film brings us scenes from Pack Forest, circa 1949. There’s lots of work involving trees, but then, right in the middle, we see three men in shirts and ties sitting around talking. However, since the film is silent, we can only guess who they are and what they’re saying. Maybe you know?
And maybe you can tell Film Archive Specialist Hannah Palin how the University used Pack Forest in 1949. This film shows chopping and sawing trees, trees falling to the (silent) call of tim-burrrr!, logs being hauled off, then trucked to a factory and coming out as lumber. But it also shows us trees being planted, and, at the end, someone climbing a tower for a beautiful view of the forest and the mountain.
Specifically, Palin would like to know:
- Who are the men in suits and ties sitting around talking?
- Did students spend extended amounts of time at Pack Forest?
- How were the logging products used?
- How were students involved?
- How is Pack Forest’s operation today different from what it was then?
Palin heard from at least one person about last week’s film, Union Bay Village. Her correspondent remembered living in Union Bay Village in the early 1950s when his father was a UW student. If you have something to add, be sure to post a comment.
