BFI National Archive - creativity beyond film

The Harold Brown Mark IV Printer

This wonderful piece of Heath Robinson-style equipment was designed and built by the BFI’s first preservation officer, Harold Brown. Made out of rubber bands, Meccano and parts from a Gaumont projector, this step printer was created to copy film which had been shrunken or damaged – Brown’s design has no doubt saved several reels from obscurity. The printer has recently been cleaned by professional conservators and is proudly displayed at the BFI J.P. Getty Jnr Conservation Centre.  It was a star attraction for last year’s Heritage Open Day, under the theme 'Astounding Inventions'.

Flames of Passion (1922) 35mm film print / dir. Graham Cutts, Graham-Wilcox Productions 

Directed by Graham Cutts and starring Mae Marsh and C. Aubrey Smith, this early colour silent feature film initially shocked critics with its themes of seduction, adultery and infanticide. This was a hit with audiences though and it became the first post-war British film to be sold to America. The eagle-eyed amongst you might recognise this image from the early social media announcements for the BFI Film on Film Festival – this celebration of celluloid in all its glory is being held at the BFI Southbank from 7th – 11th June 2023. Whilst the BFI National Archive holds a print for Flames of Passion, it is sadly too delicate for projection but the festival will be projecting many titles from our collection including some rarely seen nitrate prints.

Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945) film poster designed by John Piper, Ealing Studios

This beautiful poster for the 1945 Ealing Studios film was designed by John Piper and is preserved in the BFI poster collection under the care of our Special Collections curators. To accompany the Blu-ray release of Pink String and Sealing Wax, BFI Senior Curator, Claire Smith, wrote an informative article about Piper and the other artists involved in Ealing film posters, she sums up the evocative style of this poster: “Piper’s pink skyline evokes the sunset world of Victorian England. The burnished hues are also reminiscent of Piper’s earlier wartime sketches, which were replete with smouldering ruins”. As well as film posters, Claire’s team collect and care for scripts, press books, film stills, animation cels and production & costume designs. Some of the treasures within this collection include the production design illustrations for Lawrence of Arabia (1962) by John Box and Gurinder Chadha’s storyboards for Bend it Like Beckham (2002).

The Woman in Black (1989) Television Film / Central Independent Television, Capglobe Ltd., TX 24/12/1989

This made for television film, broadcast on ITV in December 1989, is an unsettling adaptation of Susan Hill’s classic book. Scripted by the master of horror inflected thrillers, Nigel Kneale, it is a wonderfully grainy and eerie visit to Crythin Gifford (the town featured in the novel). The BFI National Archive has been collecting British television since the 1950s and this comes directly from the broadcasters, production companies and individuals. Some of this collection, including this version of The Woman in Black, is available to view for free at our Mediatheque situated at the BFI Southbank.