Cine film from Park Hill, 1962

Sheffield's Park Hill housing project was designed in the late 50s and was Britain's first 'streets in the sky' estate. This 8 minute silent extract from a longer cine film from 1962 was probably made by J. Coulthard, local photographers who were brought in to record the newly finished scheme.

What's particularly interesting about this film is that it shows people going about their daily lives, rather than portraying an empty modernist monolith. It also shows how many shops (including new-fangled supermarkets), cafes, pubs and facilities were built into Park Hill from the off, and gives a glimpse into how well-used these places were in the beginning, and of the new community that was forming.

You can view the film here at the Yorkshire Film Archive.