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Linen Flax

1946 , Sandringham (Norfolk)

Cat no. 934

A detailed look at the processes involved in the growing and preparing of flax, an important crop during Word War II.

Shots of flax and corn fields and north west Norfolk views. Major G.O Searle, Flax Production Officer to the Ministry of Supply, drives to the fields and inspects the flax crop. The crop is harvested with a 'pulling machine' (a tractor driven by a man pulling a reaper operated by a boy). The machine is shown operating in slow motion. At the factory, a linen loom: flax passes up an elevator to form a stack and women arrange the flax on a conveyor before deseeding by a roller. Retting is shown - soaking flax in a tank at a controlled temperature, followed by gaiting - slow motion shots of the flax being fanned out to dry in the fields and scutching - separating the flax on a conveyor before it passes through a roller. Finally the stricks (flat layers) of fibre are removed from the machine, carefully dressed and combed to remove knots, and packed into sacks. The film ends with a statement about increased production and an appeal to the Empire.

Featured Buildings

Norfolk Flax Limited

Keywords

Flax; Flax processing, Factories, Factory workers, Linen; War effort; Women workers

Other Places

West Newton

Background Information

The uses for canvas for ships' sails, and for parachute harnesses and hosepipes, increased the demand for flax during World War II. Flax had been grown on the Sandringham Estate since the early 1930s - later a factory at nearby West Newton was built by Norfolk Flax Ltd.

Manifestations

Linen Flax

  • Barcode
    INV397370
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:16:37
    Modification Date
    24/11/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    734266
  • Barcode
    INV349459
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:16:37
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    724534
  • Barcode
    INV360754
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:16:37
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    723757
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV315000
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:10:38
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    711145
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV384007
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:10:56
    Modification Date
    15/10/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    694083
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV177663
    Canonical Identifier
    TB 490
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    Umatic tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    23/07/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    673418
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV175579
    Canonical Identifier
    TB 108
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    Umatic tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    22/07/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    672915
  • Barcode
    INV242907
    Canonical Identifier
    VP-436
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Duration
    0:18:00
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    563483
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV191663
    Canonical Identifier
    A-1193
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour Type
    bw
    Dimension
    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    positive
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    561293
    Sound
    silent

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