Home movie footage of the Connecticut Blizzard of 1934

Описание: Silent home movie documenting the blizzard of 1934 in what was originally thought to be Bridgeport, but is instead neighboring Fairfield, Connecticut. This film was preserved through a grant given by the National Film Preservation Foundation and thanks to the work of ColorLab.


While the original film maker is unknown, the film features not only edited clips, but opens with a title card that reads "Member Amateur Cinema League." It includes the ACL logo before jumping into the film itself.

The film begins with footage of two different Christmas trees in a home bedecked with tinsel, along with a set table in advance of a feast. This footage was likely taken prior to the blizzard.

From there the film moves on to depict the snow as it was coming down, illustrating the high winds that were responsible for massive drifts. Following that, the bulk of the footage shows the film maker's family playing in the snow, shoveling it, waving to family members inside the house, and even getting their car out and showing how tall the snow banks are in comparison to the car itself.

From the 6:21-7:22 time stamp, the footage shifts and focuses instead on street scenes. The large snow bank at 6:36 that is piled under the sign of Bonney Electric Co. suggests that the street footage shows downtown Fairfield. Bonney Electric Co. resided at 733 Post Road. Upon careful review, the building shown at 6:20 may be the Chase Bank that now resides at 1401 Post Road in Fairfield. The more easily identifiable Randall's Drugs resided at the historical address of 644 Post Road, which likewise seems to be in the modern 1410 area. The Bridgeport History Center is trying to determine the occupants and exact address of what is likely now the Chase Bank. The train tracks at 6:40 also look similar to Fairfield's train station in the present. Actual trains can be seen at 6:50-7:00.


This is the only known film of the blizzard in Fairfield county, making this reel of black and white 16 mm film a rarity. The Bridgeport Post’s headline blared "“CITY PARALYZED BY BLIZZARD: 28 inch snow, deepest since ’88. Drifts 6 feet.” on Tuesday, February 20, 1934. The headline “2,500 at work clearing streets” came the day after. This snowstorm of truly epic proportions impacted not only Bridgeport, Connecticut, but the entire New England region, making it one of the biggest and most remembered storms for decades to come.


For a more in-depth description and additional information, please view the film's digital preservation home on the Connecticut Digital Archive: https://collections.ctdigitalarchive....