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Clip description
The camera pans across the wood-working machine rooms and shows men working on various stages of piano construction. Piles of cut-to-size timber are stacked on the ground. One man feeds a large flat piece of wood through a cutting machine which cuts tongues and grooves into the wood, applies glue and delivers boards of the required width.
This machine is shown from a number of angles which focus on different parts of the machine to illustrate how it works. As a section of wood comes out, a man removes it and displays it for the camera – showing the grooves that have been made.
Curator’s notes
The use of slow steady pans along with a number of camera angles combine with intertitles to provide a clear overview of the work conducted in this factory.
The 'blistering’ from the nitrate damage is extensive in this clip, especially the intertitles. Film stock from this era used a nitrate base, making it incredibly delicate and prone to damage over time.
