A Visit to Nelson (ca. 1939) - RBCM AAAA1072

Nelson and area, just before the Second World War. This edited clip begins with high-angle views of the city and its setting, followed by street-level shots of some local businesses. These include: Palm Dairies Ltd.; a building housing a Shell station and Nelson Transfer Co. Ltd.; West Transfer Co., with a moving van and movers at work in a residential area; Kootenay Motors (H. Harrop), another Shell station, beside the Greyhound Bus terminal; the Madden Hotel (and a streetcar); and another downtown hotel. The clips ends with shots of the Harrop cable ferry, and a scenic shot of a wharf with boats. These are edited excerpts from silent 16 mm film footage shot by Vancouver filmmaker Alfred E. Booth (1892-1977). In the 1930s and 1940s, Booth travelled extensively in the BC Interior, shooting footage of the various regions and communities for his own company, Travel Films. The source film is the compilation reel "[Kootenay-Boundary area] : [footage and out-takes]" (AAAA1072), one of 39 film reels in the Alfred E. Booth fonds at the BC Archives. Used by permission.