Plums That Please

Learn to gauge your gages with the Empire Marketing Board, in pursuit of plums that please

Consistency of product was the aim of this campaign to establish a brand, the National Mark, which could bypass time-consuming checks at market. The film shows the idyllic, blossoming orchards between Pershore and Evesham, where fallen petals lie like snow and the boughs are laden with luscious fruit. Following the Victorias and the Purple Pershores on their journey to auction in Worcester and on to the great market at Covent Garden, this beautifully made piece is replete with low camera angles, showing a clear influence from the best Russian filmmakers.

At a time when standardisation of produce has become so prevalent as to be controversial, it's interesting to see the beginnings of this process. Clearly the Empire Marketing Board saw this as a great advance. The film was one of a series made by a talented team of filmmakers with very few resources but a passion for the latest cinematic techniques. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.