Tartans of the Scottish Clans (1906)

**BoldHighlander** · 26th August 09, 02:01 AM

I ran across this interesting early color silent film (actually two short films) on youtube.
Its entitled: Tartans of the Scottish Clans (1906)

Here's a description of both films:
"This disarmingly simple film concentrates on the tartan cloths of various clans rather than the men who wore them, and is an early filmic reminder of their huge importance to both Scottish national identity and the thriving tourist industry north of the border.

The film's unique selling point was that pioneering filmmaker G. A. Smith showed off the vibrant designs in Kinemacolor, among the earliest colour film processes that didn't involve meticulous hand-painting.

At the end of the film is 'Woman Draped in Patterned Handkerchiefs' (1908), another Kinemacolor test by G.A. Smith."

Both run for a total of 2 minutes 25 seconds.

**Highland Logan** · 26th August 09, 02:12 AM

That link has been posted before and it is great to see it again. Thanks.

Frank

**BoldHighlander** · 26th August 09, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by Highland Logan

That link has been posted before and it is great to see it again. Thanks.

Frank

Thanks for letting me know that Frank.
I tried doing a search first before posting it (just to be sure) but was unable to find it. Glad you enjoyed it

**Highland Logan** · 26th August 09, 02:22 AM

Originally Posted by BoldHighlander

Thanks for letting me know that Frank.
I tried doing a search first before posting it (just to be sure) but was unable to find it. Glad you enjoyed it

How can one not like history?

Frank

**BoldHighlander** · 26th August 09, 02:24 AM

Originally Posted by Highland Logan

How can one not like history?

Frank

Indeed.

**Livingston** · 26th August 09, 07:30 AM

Thanks for posting that, Terry. I've not seen it before. Not sure how I would have missed it.

**Ancienne Alliance** · 27th August 09, 01:41 AM

I really enjoyed this .

Thank you Terry.

Best,

Robert

**EagleJCS** · 27th August 09, 02:58 PM

Interesting how the horizontal stripes pop out much more than the vertical stripes. Perhaps that's one of the drawbacks of the film/technique and that's why it was eventually dropped in favor of later-developed techniques?

**Morris at Heathfield** · 28th August 09, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by EagleJCS

Interesting how the horizontal stripes pop out much more than the vertical stripes. Perhaps that's one of the drawbacks of the film/technique and that's why it was eventually dropped in favor of later-developed techniques?

I believe that effect is typical of silk tartans.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 28th August 09, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by EagleJCS

Interesting how the horizontal stripes pop out much more than the vertical stripes. Perhaps that's one of the drawbacks of the film/technique and that's why it was eventually dropped in favor of later-developed techniques?

As has been pointed out that's one of the peculiarities of silk tartan. The reason Kinemacolour didn't catch on was the actual process involved in creating the coloured image on celluloid-- a problem that was only overcome in the early days of cinema by the three-strip technicolor process.

(Should this be moved to the Vintage Photos section?)