Original National Film Theatre (NFT) programme from July to September 1970, dedicated to a landmark retrospective: "History of the Cinema 1895–1970." This 48-page booklet captures the NFT's ambitious and scholarly approach to film curation, covering 75 years of cinematic evolution through themed screenings, director showcases, and critical essays.
The striking dual-front design features one cover titled History of the Cinema, the other British Cinema in the Seventies / International Underground Film Festival, reflecting a blend of historical reverence and forward-looking experimentalism.
⚫ History of the Cinema (1895–1970)
A vast chronological survey of landmark films, divided by key movements and regions:
Silent Era classics (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Greed, Battleship Potemkin)
Golden Age of Hollywood with titles from Chaplin, Hawks, and Cukor
European Masters including Renoir, Bergman, and Antonioni
Postwar Realism and New Wave Cinema
Each entry is accompanied by film stills, detailed synopses, and programming dates, forming a rich visual and critical document.
⚫ British Cinema in the Seventies
An insightful section addressing the direction of UK filmmaking as it entered the 1970s, with commentary on new themes, funding shifts, and audience tastes. Key figures discussed include:
Ken Loach
Lindsay Anderson
Peter Watkins
Jack Gold
A rare contemporaneous view of British cinema trying to redefine itself in a new decade.
⚫ International Underground Film Festival
Dedicated to the growing influence of underground, avant-garde, and countercultural cinema, this section lists:
Works by Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Kenneth Anger, Carolee Schneemann
Experimental pieces pushing the limits of form and censorship
The aesthetic of the section – high-contrast monochrome and radical design – reflects the nonconformist spirit of the movement.
⚫ Special Events & Series:
Mae West Tribute (All-Night Show) – A playful midnight homage to one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures.
Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries and other European arthouse essentials.
Public Enemy / Angels with Dirty Faces in a gangster film double bill.
John Player Lecture Series, including speaker profiles and topics.
This NFT programme is a time capsule of critical film appreciation in the UK at the start of the 1970s. It bridges the academic study of cinema history with the emerging counterculture of underground and independent film.
Led by voices like NFT programmer David Francis and critics such as Alexander Walker, this season exemplified how institutions were embracing both preservation and radical innovation. The juxtaposition of silent film with experimental montage work demonstrates the NFT’s broad curatorial vision.
The British Cinema in the Seventies essay now reads as a prophetic glance at themes that would dominate British film for the next decade: class, labour, realism, and political disillusionment.
Provenance Note:
From a carefully curated archive of NFT publications and British cinema ephemera, stored flat and preserved with care.
Postage Note:
Combined shipping offered on multiple items – please ask for a discounted rate when purchasing more than one programme.