glbthistory (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Send us some video of Providence. A lovely town, I've enjoyed visiting there.

kd1s (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Fascinating look back at what is now the Gay Mecca. Well actually I think it's lost the spotlight a bit. I live in a place that is also a gay mecca for the region. Even have an openly gay mayor, as well as the #2 and #3 in the House of Representatives being gay. It's Providence, RI.

Barndancer61 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Obviously you've never seen "Gone With the Wind" or "The Wizard of OZ" both shot in technicolour and both before 1940.

machineamsterdam (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Colour film was used everywhere by 1940. Look for film footage from Nazi Germany for example. Recent television documentaries on the BBC show its usage in 1930s Britain too. On the date of this footage ... notice one caption says the summer, and the San Francisco Call newspaper headlines say HOSPITAL BABES SLAIN ... correct me if I am wrong ... now to search for the Call banner with that story and you have the exact date.

ellemueller (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

That, AND the various colour films for television cameras were more expensive. All around, it was more expensive.In Addition to THAT, who in the world had a colour television but the richest? It'd be pointless to shoot colour film which is too expensive when no one is going to see anything in colour.However, the kodachrome was portrayed on a screen in anyone's house, so as long as one had a projector to play the standard film type, everyone was happy enough with the results.

bellashess (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Kodak introduced Kodachrome color film for home movies and still picutres in the mid-nineteen-thirties. This was the first practicle type of color film that was mass-marketed. I'd guess that black-and-white television cameras were still used in the 20-25 years after this footage was filmed was because color television cameras, which were introduced by 1953, were alot more expensive to operate and therefore black-and-white T.V. cameras were cost effective.

jojobug45 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

interesting. Don't mean to change the topic, but I am curious why color film could be around back in 1940 ( and earlier), making this footage look like it could have been taken today, yet tv shows were still in b&w 20-25 years after this footage?

glbthistory (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

If they are what I think you're refering to, they're from the 1915 S.F. Exposition. They were part of a large campus of structures, most of which were torn down later.

pf91rodman (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

wow those statue things next to the exploritorium is that old?

trewqwert (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It amazes me that this is merely 35 years after the 1905 "trip down Market Street".