Clip description
This clip from a silent Kiwi Shoe Polish cinema advertisement shows boot staff from the Imperial Hotel resigning from their work to join the war. Having all his staff resign, the hotel manager makes a sign that says 'Boot Boys Wanted’ to advertise newly vacated positions. Elaborate title cards are used to provide dialogue and context for the moving image.
Curator’s notes
Produced during the First World War, this clip from a silent black-and-white cinema advertisement shows what employers on the home front faced when their staff enlisted themselves into the armed services. Low staffing meant that positions once filled by men needed to be carried out by children or women.
In the background, a patriotic recruitment poster can be seen. It says 'For King and Country’.