Shell Cinemagazine no. 20 | Shell Historical Film Archive

The 20th edition of the Shell Cinemagazine program, originally intended for national cinema release, features three short segments. Each segment provides a unique perspective on historical and contemporary innovations.
The first, "Newcomen's Atmospheric Engine," explores Thomas Newcomen's pioneering 1705 steam engine, which was a breakthrough in mining and water supply systems.
The second segment, "Off The Beaten Track," showcases a versatile six-wheel drive truck designed for challenging terrains with impressive clearance, innovative suspension, and other features.
The third part, "Soapbox Derby," offers a glimpse into the world of Boy Scouts' soapbox racing, where young participants build and race their pedal-powered vehicles, following specific criteria. At the finals in Brighton a record crowd of 90,000 line the course for the national soapbox derby to watch the racing drivers, mechanics and pit attendants of tomorrow.
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Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.
The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.
Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.
As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.
During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.
While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.

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If you enjoyed this video, please check out the full 'Shell Film Unit - Historic Archive' playlist, where you'll find lots more gems!
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