[J.G. Capstaff--home movies]

Date1924 – 1950

Can DescriptionsDeposited by Peter Dennen. Note: Collection renamed from Peter Dennen Collection, August 2002. Contents and significance must be established before disposition is settled. Notes in collection file. Dennen indicates that some footage comes from Dennen branch of family and some from Capstaff. Also three small boxes of stereoscopic glass slides labelled Fontainebleau 1, 2, and 3, one box paper mounted Kodak slides not labelled but addressed to Dr. W. I. Dennen. [Slides returned to Peter Dennen, June 2003]. One Revere 16 mm. projector, Argus Magna-slide viewer, a Franklin President Film Splicer and a Non-rewinding reel. NHF Cataloger notes: 1 1924 b&w (reversal?) edge wave/warped children playing, kittens note on box: Mr. Capstaff. ìdevelop before May 1925î 2 1925 b&w (reversal?) edge wave/warped children playing in costumes on box: ìB-day at McGee Ave., BettyÖî writing on film at end ìCapstaff Specialî [Magee Ave., Rochester?] 3 1926 b&w (positive) edge wave/warped, slight perf damage at beginning, 5 splices landscape, people in landscape on box: ìMr. Capstaff, A Trip to Naples, Aug. 1926î on reel: ìOutings near Rochester NY, 1926î 4 1928 lenticular edge wave/warped (more severe at end) kids in swimsuits 5 1928 Kodacolor/lenticular edge wave/warped landscapes & people, half-timbered house and grounds, swimming in ocean ìSwimming at Edgemere Drive, app. 1928î ìCotherestonî 6 1933 b&w (reversal) edge wave 2 young women in berets, cars & building on leader: ìWells, 4/15/33î 7 1933 b&w (reversal) edge wave, 7 splices people outside of house, dogs ìBetty backyard scenesî 8 1935 b&w (reversal) edge wave, sprocket damage people outdoors, snow scenes, ski jump note on box: ìDev. Before Dec. 1937î ìWm. I Dennen, Hanover, NHî 9 1937 Kodachrome intermittent yellow-orange discolor at beginning, slight bluish tinge buildings, people, wedding on box: ìReturn to A.K. Widmer, Building 59, Wells, 1937î 10 1936 b&w (reversal) edge wave & warping track meet note on box: ìWm. I. Dennen, Hanover NHî ìDec. 1937î 11 1935 b&w (reversal) edge wave & warping campus (Dartmouth?), architecture, snow scenes note on box: ìWm. I Dennen, Hanover NH, Develop before Jan. 1937î 12 1938 b&w slight warping and edge wave, intermittent perf damage & knicked edges, 2 splices, burn and torn sprockets near end snow scenes Macy safety film. Note on box: ìWm. I. Dennen, Capt O-At-Ka, E. Sebago, MEî 13 1925 b&w (reversal) burn hole near end, 3 frames discolored, some base scratches tennis court, cars, landscape on box: ìRoxbury V.A. Picnicî 14 1930 Kodachrome base scratches snow scenes ìAnne at Intervaleî 15 n/a color greenish/blue tinge, base scratch at beginning wedding on box: ìJ.G. Capstaffî 16 1927 b&w burn marks at beginning, vertical base scratches ìKennel Kingsî ìAn official films: Sportbeamî, with titles: ìThe Morris & Essex Dog Show at Madison, NJî 17 1950 (copyright) b&w (positive) perf damage (minor) at beginning ìCastle Films presents the World Parade: Escape in Canadaî ìTelevision Rights Reservedî

Viewing NotesReel 1. [Pretty certain this is Rochester.] Girls playing hopscotch on residential sidewalk; playing round rosey in the yard; portraits of girls; cats wresting in yard/ Reel 2. [Could this be Magee Avenue – and not McGee Avenue – in Rochester? Looks familiar in today’s images of street.] Children at a costume birthday party, girls in white are wearing sunbeam headdresses and boys are wearing cone-shaped hats; playing a game where one child is blindfold, ladies looking on; more playing games and sometimes reading a book on a chair. Reel 3. [Still Rochester? Says Naples as well.] Four ladies and girls bundling up and walking down a residential sidewalk; girl trying to kiss a sunflower that’s moving in the wind; women and girls stand behind a man with a movie camera and watch (great!); girls throwing stones in a river; walking along railroad trellis and down dirt road. Reel 4. Kids in swimsuits at seaside. Playing with shells. [Maybe Rochester if there are concrete jetties?] Reel 5: [Cotherston and Edgemere Drive (the same?) are in Rochester and this is Kodacolor/lenticular.] Cotherston house/estate and surrounding seaside area; girls dressed in Robin Hood outfits doing archer; people swimming at seaside with German Shepherd; boys in canoe; estate and surroundings; two girls in white pointing to “Cotherston” sign; sitting together under a tree, looking at what looks like a lesson book. Reel 6. [Wellesley College] Car outside brick buildings; two college-aged women in dark coats and berets smiling at the camera; two women playing tennis; girls walking past construction on campus; Reel 7. [This is presumably Betty throughout. Edgemere Drive, Cotherson]. Girl in backyard playing croquet; dog; girl on bike; Cotherston; dog and women walking down sidewalk, boy and girl join them from Cotherston driveway; girl on bike with dog, then walking in yard towards camera, smiles; wood pile; croquet game in yard; dogs panting; horse shoes game in yard. Reel 8. [Snowy] Large plaster (?) sculpture on lawn of dog sled team and [Inuit]; horseback rider pulling people on skis behind; ski jump competition, crowd of onlookers; plane flies overhead; crowd on snowy mountain slope.