Title:
Tacoma Washington Family 1940's Vol. 1
REEL ID:
L067R001
RUN TIME:
0:10:14
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Color
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This home movie captures outdoor recreation and family life along Puget Sound, paired with a graduation ceremony at Stadium High School in Tacoma. Shot on color film, the reel blends scenic coastal activity with personal milestones and everyday leisure in the Pacific Northwest.
The film opens with close-up views of birds in mountainous terrain and a clear mountain spring, followed by people hiking through snow-covered landscapes. Snowy peaks dominate the background as wildflowers later appear across alpine meadows, marking seasonal transition. A child hides playfully in the snow, adding a candid family moment to the outdoor scenes.
The setting shifts to Puget Sound, where people gather on docks to refuel boats before heading out onto the water. Scenes filmed from boats show meals being shared onboard, rowboats paddling across calm water, and people sitting along rocky shorelines. Additional shots capture swimming and recreation on the Sound, reflecting the region’s strong maritime culture.
A central personal milestone appears with footage of a young woman wearing a graduation gown and cap at Stadium High School. The ceremony grounds the reel in Tacoma and provides a clear temporal anchor amid the travel and recreation footage.
Domestic life rounds out the reel. In backyard scenes, a mother duck leads her ducklings across the grass, a family relaxes in a landscaped yard, and two men proudly display a lemon tree. Children and adults swim together in a backyard pool, emphasizing postwar leisure and family togetherness.
Brief travel and historical vignettes add texture: a caravan of early automobiles, including Model T–era vehicles, drives through town, and a woman dressed in Victorian-style clothing appears—suggesting a parade, reenactment, or themed community event.
Together, these scenes preserve a warm and varied portrait of midcentury life in western Washington—combining coastal recreation on Puget Sound, a Tacoma graduation milestone, and the quiet pleasures of home and family.
Tags:
Puget Sound, Tacoma Washington, Stadium High School, Graduation, Washington State, Pacific Northwest, 16mm film, Color home movies, Coastal recreation, Boating, Dock, Rowboat, Rocky shoreline, Swimming, Mountain hiking, Snowy mountains, Wildflowers, Birds, Mountain spring, Backyard life, Ducks and ducklings, Lemon tree, Family garden, Backyard swimming pool, Early automobiles, Model T cars, Victorian clothing, Community events, Midcentury America, Vintage lifestyle, Analog film, Nostalgic footage