Title:
Canadian and New England Coast, 1958
REEL ID:
L018R015
RUN TIME:
0:05:58
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Kodak Kodachrome Color
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This home movie from 1958 documents an extended coastal journey through New England and eastern Canada, capturing maritime landscapes, rural life, and cultural traditions along the Atlantic coast. Shot on color 16mm film without synchronized sound, the footage blends seaside recreation, camping, and international travel into a reflective midcentury travelogue.
The reel opens with views of ocean-side residences and dockside activity, where people snorkel and dive from a wooden dock into coastal waters. A sign reading “Provincetown, Massachusetts to Long Beach, California” establishes the scale of the journey, while imagery referencing the Mayflower evokes early American maritime history. Picnic scenes follow at campsites in Maine, with meals prepared on a camp stove.
Extended footage explores Deer Isle, located in the Atlantic Ocean off Maine’s rock-bound coast. Sailboats move through sheltered waters as the camera lingers on harbors and shoreline details. Nearby, the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse appears, marking one of the easternmost landmarks in the United States.
The journey continues north into New Brunswick, where rural scenes show farmers gathering hay with horse-drawn wagons. Cultural celebration follows at a Highland Gathering, featuring a parade with people playing bagpipes. Pastoral moments include cows and geese walking freely along country roads.
In Nova Scotia, a Canadian flag flies on a pole as coastal and urban scenes unfold. Footage from Halifax includes the ceremonial firing of the Noon Day Gun, a long-standing maritime tradition. Sailing scenes follow, with a sailboat moving steadily through open water.
The reel concludes at a campsite in Nova Scotia, returning to quiet scenes of outdoor living and travel at rest. Preserved as a personal record, this footage offers a rich midcentury portrait of Atlantic coastal travel—where maritime history, rural labor, cultural celebration, and campsite life intersect.
Tags:
1958, Home movies, 16mm film, Color home movies, Silent film, New England travel, Maine coast, Deer Isle, Atlantic Ocean, Sailboats, Snorkeling, Dock diving, Provincetown Massachusetts, Mayflower, Camping, Camp stove cooking, Quoddy Lighthouse, Lubec Maine, New Brunswick, Horse-drawn wagon, Farming, Highland Gathering, Bagpipes, Parade, Nova Scotia, Canadian flag, Halifax, Noon Day Gun, Cannon firing, Sailing, Campsite, International travel, Midcentury tourism, Americana, Analog film, Nostalgic footage, Archival home movie
