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Henry Savage Sweetman: the man who uncovered Ireland’s medieval history
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Sub-sub-fonds
Ministry of Information and Central Office of Information: films
Catalogue reference: INF 34
What’s it about?
This record is about the Ministry of Information and Central Office of Information: films dating from 1931-2011.
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Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- INF 34
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Title (The name of the record)
- Ministry of Information and Central Office of Information: films
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1931-2011
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Description (What the record is about)
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This is an artificial accumulation of government films produced or sponsored by the Central Office of Information or its predecessor, the Ministry of Information excluding Crown Film Unit productions. Many were sponsored jointly by the COI and another government department, or commissioned by the COI on behalf of another government department. The series also includes some productions that pre-date the Ministry of Information.
The films address a broad variety of subjects relating to life in the United Kingdom and parts of the (former) British Empire, including: health and welfare, industry and culture, crime prevention, food and farming, and the environment. Some of the films were produced exclusively for screening overseas, including magazine series such as This is Britain, Tomorrow Today and Living Tomorrow, Calendar, and London Line.
NOTE: If you wish to view films from the BFI National Archive, please cite BFI catalogue references found in the 'Former reference (Department)' field when contacting The British Film Institute with your request.
Some films are available online from the BFI Media Player.
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Related material (A cross-reference to other related records)
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For miscellaneous public record films, see CD 1
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- British Film Institute, National Film and Television Archive
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
- English and Miscellaneous
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
- 1496 film(s)
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Restrictions on use (Information on restrictions to the use or reproduction of the material)
- Film preservation rules apply that may restrict access. For further information about accessing BFI National Archive collections, please visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
- Open
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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Custodial history (Describes where and how the record has been held from creation to transfer to The National Archives)
- Films that have been selected for permanent preservation were transferred directly to the British Film Institute who hold films with the legal status of public records on behalf of The National Archives.
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Selection and destruction information (Information about how the record was selected for archiving)
- Films which covered subjects of particular interest or films which were in themselves innovative were selected for permanent preservation.
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Administrative / biographical background (Historical or biographical information about the creator of the record and the context of its creation)
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During the Second World War and its aftermath, the Films Division of the Ministry of Information was involved with commissioning and producing films both through the Crown Film Unit and by working with independent production companies. When the Central Office of Information replaced the Ministry in 1946, its staff worked with other government departments to deliver information to the public through films and other media. After the Crown Film Unit was abolished in 1952, COI commissioned independent film companies to produce films, often acting on behalf of other government departments. The extent of COI involvement in the creation of the films varied from high-level oversight to direct input into scripting and editing.
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C16286341/
Catalogue hierarchy
3,496 records
This record is held at British Film Institute, National Film and Television Archive
39,792 records
Within the fonds: INF
Records created or inherited by the Central Office of Information
You are currently looking at the sub-sub-fonds: INF 34
Ministry of Information and Central Office of Information: films
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