[Gadsden Family Home Movie Collection: Reel 171]

The Gadsden Company has a long and proud history of manufacture, dating back to its foundation by Jabez Gadsden in 1879. The company pioneered tinplate printing in Australia, and produced the first printed can the country had seen. By 1936 the company had twelve factories spread throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The company’s success allowed two generations of Gadsden family men – Stanley Gadsden and his son Ronald – to pursue their interest in amateur filmmaking (a relatively expensive hobby for the time). The two cameramen captured the family’s children, homes, many of its major events and holidays on film.

A collection of the films made by these Gadsden family photographers has been donated to ACMI by Chris Gadsden (Ronald’s son). The films comprise a fascinating assortment of imagery that provides a window into bygone days and customs.

This film features the Gadsden family life in the 1950s both at home and on outings to a sports club and to the beach. The children are shown at several different ages. This film also showcases some wonderful examples of the clothing styles of the era for both children and adults.

This film was originally made using 16mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:00:00 young boy of the family playing in the home garden, hosing the garden and having a ‘piggy back’ ride with dad
00:01:05:00 dad in a suit, saying goodbye to his son and about to leave in a car
00:02:00:00 the reel changes to colour and three older members of the family or friends are dressed in wintry, quite formal clothes. The older couple could be a set of grandparents. Anther woman wears a jodhpurs and jacket outfit which was popular at the time for women during outdoor activities.
00:02:17:00 wonderful images of dad and small son in matching check shirts and the little boy is playing on a trike
00:03:54:00 a new baby is introduced to the camera
00:04:31:00 Ronald Gadsden swimming in a pool that is in a bush setting and with a large ‘Private Pool’ sign. Later scenes indicate that this may be part of a sports club.
00:05:10:00 shows us a large garden with tables which could be the grounds of a club where members are enjoying beers and one of the children having what appears to be a ‘lemon squash’.
00:06:25:00 begins a sequence of beach scenes including the family exploring a cave
00:07:15:00 a baby on an air mattress and being dangled in the water on the shoreline
00:09:13:00 the baby sitting up in a high chair in a great example of an infant dress with ‘smocking’ detail across the front
00:09:58:00 Jess Gadsden with the children when they are a bit older, playing with trikes and a toy ride on car in home driveway
00:15:17:00 more scenes at the beach with other members of the extended family or friends and their children
00:15:59:00 great examples of 1950s beachcoats and caps worn by women at the beach as well as men’s swimming trunks and women’s bathers. The reel ends with views of the baby in a swimsuit with shirring and frills on the back, typical of the era.