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Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website Made by filmmaker Harry D. Blanchard during WWII, this recently re-discovered, elegantly made silent film “The Grange“ celebrates the seasons, the lives of the farming community, and a way of life. The film features poetic title cards throughout. Notably, it shows the planting of Victory Gardens as part of the war effort, and a war bonds float sponsored by the local East Hartford Grange. (The Grange, a national organization, was founded in 1867 to help both southern and northern farmers recover from the ravages of the Civil War.) The film begins with shots of Springtime on a farm (:21), with flowers in bloom. At 3:27, orchards are shown in bloom. At 4:43, a team of plow horses is shown in action. At 5:06, a green John Deere tractor -- probably a John Deere Model L is shown in action. (The Model L was a small one-plow row-crop tractor produced by Deere from 1937 to 1946.) At 5:17, the plow horses work the field. At 5:32, a red tractor is shown in the fields. At 5:50, a farm hand examines the freshly tilled soil. At 5:57, a John Deere planter or sower is shown. At 6:30, householders in Hartford are shown tilling their laws into Victory Gardens. At 7:10, a vagrant or drunk bum is shown in downtown, being arrested by the police and put into a paddy wagon. At 7:26, sheep are shown on the farm, as well as cows, chickens and other animals. At 8:18, summertime is shown. Flowers bloom at a garden, and crops are coming in. At 10:18, tomatoes are shown on the vine. At 10:32, a team of horses is shown pulling a wagon full of harvested grain. At 11:05, Trinity College is visible behind the wagon. At 11:30, a church is shown followed by Ados Israel Synagogue on Market Street at 11:39 (this building was demolished in the 1960s). At 12:18, Autumn / Fall is shown, with turning leaves and changing scenery. At 12:41, wheat is shown ready for harvest. At 12:50, a man uses a scythe to cut wheat. At 13:08, stalks of corn are shown in the field. At 13:30, harvested red tomatoes are shown. At 14:30, apples are picked by hand. Peaches are also shown by the bushel at 15:16. At 15:28, a pumpkin faced scarecrow is shown denoting the arrival of Halloween. At 15:34, more pumpkins. At 17:02, a man poses with dried corn ears. At 17:19, a horse drawn float comes by, with a sign on it promoting the purchase of war bonds and a sign stating “Cooperate for Victory“ and “East Hartford Grange“. At 17:47, Thanksgiving is celebrated with a turkey dinner. At 18:32, the arrival of winter is celebrated (with fake snow dropped in front of the title card!) Ice is shown in Hartford, as are cars that are covered with ice and snow. At 19:56, a man shovels snow from the sidewalk. At 19:58, a municipal bus -- appears to be a GM design -- moves across a snowy street. At 20:19, a snow plow comes down the street. At 20:28, snow is shoveled into a truck for removal. At 20:42, in the distance a WWII era sign states “Conserve Oil“. At 20:48, the farm is once again seen, now covered in snow. At 21:38, a nativity display is shown outside Horsfall's clothing store on Asylum Street. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
