Restoring the GPO Films

In 2005, BFI contacted Royal Mail and The British Postal Museum & Archive to discuss a project that would see the first major assessment of the GPO Film Unit material held at the BFI National Film Archive. The parties agreed to fund research to establish which films were held at the archive and what condition they were in, followed by the restoration of key films. The films themselves had been deposited with the archive on completion from the early days of the unit in 1933, but many had been used extensively and were in poor condition.

The films which were of most importance to the story of the unit and its contribution to British film history were identified for restoration and digital re-mastering. In 2008, BT Heritage joined the project meaning that films on telecommunication themes could now be included, along with a video interactive presented by Sir Derek Jacobi on the work of the GPO Film Unit published on Screenonline using BT’s technology. The last stage of the project was to select films for a touring theatrical programme in the UK and the release of a series of three DVD boxed sets. This will enable the films to be viewed by audiences, in some cases for the first time since their original release, whilst requirements for long-term preservation will have been met conserving the films for future audiences.

Film stills and artworks © Royal Mail Group Ltd and BT 2008 courtesy of BPMA and BT Heritage