The Sam Hanna Collection
The Sam Hanna Collection can be found at the North
West Film Archive. The North West Film Archive is Britain's largest
public collection outside London. The Archive was set up in 1977 and
is the professionally recognised home for moving images made in or
about Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire.
For over sixty years Sam Hanna was active in his hobby and lifelong
passion, cinematography. His filmmaking activities date back to the
1930s, covering more than half a century of ancient crafts and local
events surrounding the town of Burnley, (Lancashire, UK). Filmed by
Sam Hanna himself, the collection vividly brings to life those bygone
days when things were so different from today.
This unique film archive contains priceless material, including films
of long-forgotten crafts such as brushmaking, clay-pipe making, coopering,
tanning, hay creel making, corn dolly manufacture, clock making and
his personal favourite, charcoal burning.
In 1957 Sam was at Turf Moor (Burnley Football Club’s home ground)
to capture unique colour footage of the Manchester United Football
team, famously known as the ‘Busby Babes’. This is the only
colour material of the team before the tragic 1958 air accident in
Munich, Germany, which killed five members of the team, including
the legendary Duncan Edwards.
He also recorded the visits of several members of the royal family
to Burnley from the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II
in 1945 through to the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of 1977, the visit
of Prince Charles in 1984 and the return of the Queen in 1986.
These are just some of the elements that contribute to approximately
70 hours of footage.
ARCHIVE COLLECTION
Highlights of the footage include:
Old English Crafts
Village Blacksmith Tyring a wheel - The blacksmith is shown as he fits iron tyres to cart wheels.
Village Blacksmith shoeing a horse - The village smithy as he makes the shoes, and later fits them to
the waiting horse.
Clay Pipe Making - The stages from the raw clay to the finished pipe are shown.
Coopering - The making of an oak cask.
Clogger - The making of a complete pair of Lancashire clogs is shown in detail.
Clog Block Maker - The last of the clog-block makers is seen as he sets out to fell
an alder tree and convert it into clog blocks.
Clog Iron Maker - The last of the clog-iron makers manufacturing men’s ‘iron’ clogs.
Modern Clog Making - The mass production of Lancashire clogs in a factory in Todmorden,
Lancashire.
The Village Tannery - The production of leather uppers for Lancashire clogs.
Handloom Weaving - Wool from local sheep is spun and dyed, and the weaver is seen at
her loom making her cloth.
Potter - The processes involved in making clay pots.
Besom Maker - In the north of England besoms (brooms) were made of ling (heather),
this film shows the manufacturing of these brooms.
Dry Stone Walling - Such walls pattern the countryside of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The
walls are built of local stone, grit or limestone without the use
of mortar.
Making Stained Glass - The making of stained glass windows is followed through all the stages,
from the design to the finished window.
Slate Quarry - In North Lancashire, amongst the mountains of the Lake District,
we see the processes of obtaining slate from the heart of the mountain
for the roofing of houses.
Saddler - The making of saddles and harnesses for horses.
Horn Works - The cutting and shaping of horns for knives, forks, spoons, and table
decorations.
Lancashire Rake Maker - The craftsman is shown in an old Bobbin Mill in the Furness District
producing his own design of Lancashire rakes.
Tadley Rake Maker - The making of rakes in Tadley, Hampshire.
Basket Making - The making of the traditional swill basket of the Lake District from
oak timber.
Making Hay Creels - These are made from hazel wood and rope and enable the farmer to
carry a large amount of hay around the bleak hills.
Rope Making - The rope maker is seen at work, making ropes for the farmer and weaving
harness bands for horses.
Snuff Making - The process of making camphorated/menthol snuff from imported tobacco
leaves.
Haffe Net Fishing - Fishing for Salmon using a haffe net in the River Lune Estuary near
Lancaster, Lancashire.
Hand made Files - The making of files by hand in Warrington, Lancashire.
Brush Making - Established in Burnley, Lancashire 1854, brushes were still being
made by hand in the workshop.
Corn Dolly Making - The making of corn dollies near Preston, Lancashire, in shapes influenced
by the area.
Rush Seating - The making of seats for ladder-back chairs, from rushes imported
from Holland.
Oat Cake Making -The making of oval shaped cakes from a batter of oat meal, water
and salt in a family-run bakery near Preston, Lancashire.
Charcoal Making - Members of a family of Charcoal Burners producing charcoal at Grizedale
Forest in the Lake District.
Clock Making - The restoration of an antique clock.
Sculptor - The sculptor shaping clay, with a spatula and his fingers, to create
a likeness of the head of his sitter.
Burnley Weaving Shed - The production of coloured woven cloth at Barden Mill in Burnley,
Lancashire.
Sport
Unique colour footage of the “Busby Babes”, Burnley vs Manchester
United (1957)
Burnley Football Club - matches, celebration reaching 1947 FA Cup
Final
School Football at Turf Moor (Burnley F.C.), 1940/1950
Life Saving Classes at Rosegrove Baths, Burnley, Lancashire, 1944
New Physical Education for Junior Schools introduced in the early
1950s - Filmed in colour at a school in Blackburn, Lancashire showing children
practising their agility skills.
Burnley Grammar School - Sports Day / Cricket match, 1961 - Scenes from the annual school sports day including; 100 metre heats,
putting the shot, hop, step and jump, middle distance running, high
jump. Also a cricket match against School Old Boys.
Knur and Spell (poor man's golf) moor above Skipton, Yorkshire
Culture
Hospital Carnival, 17th September 1932
Burnley's Last Tram, 7th May 1935
"Maid of the Mountain" - Filmed at Victoria Theatre in Burnley, Lancashire, with on stage
and back stage scenes.
Street Games
Home Guard, 1940-44
Church "Walking Days"
Burnley Safety First Campaign "Careless Play", 1943
Post war Burnley
Visit by Red Dean
Pendle Witch Country, 1946
Lord Rowallan Chief Scout at Huntroyde, 1947
Milton Thomas - Burnley Chemist and Photographer
Wilfred Pickles in Colne
General Election, 1950
Burnley Convent
Bronze Age Site - The dig takes place on the moors above Burnley in 1950. Diggers unearth
several Bronze Age relics, including an arrowhead, axe, urn and bones
Festival of Britain Celebrations, 1951
Burnley, Colne, Clitheroe
Girls’ Friendly Society Coronation Display, 9th May 1953
Colour film of the display at Ewood Park, Blackburn Football Club,
includes games, dances, and a Scottish Pipe Band.
Circus in Town - Elephants parade through town centre of Burnley
Felling Burnley's factory chimneys
New Fields for Industry, 1957 - Burnley people at work and play
Nurse Recruitment Film, 1963
Nurse Training Facilities available in Burnley and District Hospitals.
Summer Camps - Burnley Grammar School
Holidays
Heysham Head, 1943
Blackpool, 1945/1951
Lake District, 1947-1960s
Swiss Landsgeminde at Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge, 1952
Civic Welcome to Swiss, 1956
CHA & HF Holidays, 1950s
Lancaster, Preston, Morecambe, Southport, 1960s
Yorkshire Coast
Yorkshire Dales
Totnes, Dawlish, Porlock, Burn's Country Scotland, Isle of Arran,
Bournemouth, Ribble Valley
People At Work
Lambert Howarth Slipper Works, Burnley, Lancashire
Lucas Engineering Works
Victory V Works, Nelson, near Burnley, Lancashire - Many of the various sweet making processes, to the finished product
being packed and sent in a delivery van.
Ron Carter - blacksmith Simonstone
Special Interest
Story of Billy Holt and his horse Trigger - Billy Holt of Todmorden, Lancashire, was a famous writer and artist
and went everywhere on his horse, Trigger - even abroad.
Pendle sheep farm - The sheep and lambs are shown in early spring, as well as hand shearing
methods and dipping of the sheep.
Children’s films: "What the Cat saw" - A cat is seen looking under a door and she sees a family of mice.
Children’s films: "Mother and son" - A mare and foal are seen walking, running, and feeding.
V.E. Day celebrations, 1945 - Crowds in front of Burnley Town Hall, street parties and bonfires.
Royal Visits
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II visit Burnley
Sam films his own father being presented to the King and Queen, 1945.
Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire, 1950
Royal visit, 1968
Silver Jubilee Celebrations, 1977
Prince Charles visit, 1984
Queen's visit, 1986
