University of Salford Audio-Visual Collection
A range of promotional videos for the University of Salford, footage of graduation ceremonies and royal visits, the construction of Maxwell Building and student life on campus. The footage dates from c1950s-2000.
Some of the earliest footage in the collection shows construction work for the new Maxwell Building in the 1950s. The films show the work involved to create the foundations for the building and cover activities such as boring, piling and infilling with concrete.
Similarly, from 1954 are two pieces of silent footage relating to a visit from the Queen and Prince Philip and show crowds of people on The Crescent awaiting their arrival. Footage of royal visits is a strength of the collection, and includes the inauguration of Prince Philip as the first University Chancellor in 1967 and the Queen opening the Maxwell Building in 1961.
From the 1980s we see audio visual format being used for information guides and promotional purposes and demonstrate a variety of creative approaches to media. For example KWIC – Where's the Index from the 1970s uses animated illustrations to explain how computing can help with indexing and resource discovery.
Students feature strongly in the material. Videos such as School of Modern Languages dated 1982 and Salford on View from 1983 are promotional videos, featuring students talking about their reasons for studying at Salford and their experiences. Of course, as promotional videos, the films capture only certain portrayals of the student experience, but they also provide a record of the physical campus and how it was used in the past. Other footage such as Summertime from 1968, captures students going about their business perhaps more unwittingly.
How can it be used?
As a unique record of mid-twentieth century building construction, and footage of royal visits to Salford. Gives an insight into public relation and marketing styles on the late twentieth century, and depictions of student life and experience. Complements the University of Salford's Photographic archive collection.
Who might be interested?
Students and researchers of architecture, construction, civil and structural engineering, and history. Students studying Journalism (PR) may find the footage useful for the contrast to contemporary approaches.
Type of material
Audio visual
Related material
- Salford Royal Technical Institute and Royal Technical College Records
- University of Salford Photographic Collection