The Scilly Isles

Scillonian daffodils are a feast for the eyes – and watch out for the curious cows eyeing up the camera.

It’s hard not to wish for colour footage in this magazine item on the Scilly Isles’ flower industry. The back-breaking life of a flower-cutter is perhaps nowhere better demonstrated than in a part of the world renowned for gorgeous daffodils. And those expansive panoramas and tracking shots along the island’s characterful coastline must have worked wonders for the Isles’ tourism business, too.

This newsreel item was produced by Pathe, already an established and versatile filmmaker by the time this appeared. Early travelogue pictures like this one sometimes favoured a tint - in a bid either to boost the perceived realism of the scenes, or simply to add a little visual pizzazz. Although the yellow tinting here has faded in places, it still gives vibrancy to the fields of blooming daffodils.