Hi, there.
In the Irish Film Archive, in Dublin, there is a collection of like 9
mute amateur 16mm films (in a 35mm can) donated by some guy called
Gabriel Lalor. Back in 2003, the collection used to be isolated in the
'Vinegar Room,' as some of the films had shown early symptoms of
Vinegar Syndrome. I happen to know the catalog number of the full
collection is AD916 and it also has (or had, back then) a 'Vinegar
Room Number,' VR85.
I wrote the shot-by-shot list of the films and entered it into the
catalogue. Two short sequences of the roll number 1 were particularly
striking to me back then: A man balancing a bycicle on his nose and a
woman teaching a toddler to smoke.
Since those were family films (shot by Mr Lalor around the 1940s, I
believe), there is a very nice, however simple interaction between the
woman, the baby, and the cameraman. I find interesting the way both
the cycle balancing and the smoking-child were in fact pro-filmic
events, staged and somehow prepared for the camera, towards which the
characters nodded and spoke words now forever lost.
But I digress... I suppose that, if the films weren't de-accessed,
they must be still around down there. I'm sure the nice folks at the
archive may help you secure a pretty dv copy of the smoking sequence,
for a small fee (and probably after getting permission from Mr Lalor's
descendants, but I'm not sure about that).
There is an online contact form at
http://www.irishfilm.ie/contact.asp?PageID=62
You can try to contact the archive director, Kassandra O'Connell, or
the Curator, Ms Sunniva O'Flynn. I'm not sure if they are still there,
but if they are they'll be more than happy to help you, especially if
you let my name drop with my regards to them.
I wish you the best luck trying to find any other similar images. I'd
also like to see your finished collage.
Best regards
Reinaldo A Uribe M
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