FISHING THE GRAND BANKS

This silent, tinted film is one of the Eastman Classroom Films series, released in the late 1920s and early 1930s by Kodak. The main title is missing, but it is believed to be titled "Fishing the Grand Banks". This footage in the film predates 1927, as it features the schooner Columbia which was lost in that year. Columbia was originally launched in 1923, and was designed by William Starling Burgess. Built for speed and seaworthiness, she participated in the International Fishermen’s Trophy, coming close to defeating the famous Canadian schooner Bluenose. Columbia was known for her racing prowess but met a tragic end in 1927, sinking near Sable Island during a hurricane, with all 22 crew members tragically lost.

The film starts at 0:00 with shots of fishing boats being built and then shows the fishing vessel Columbia being readied for a trip. Starting at 1:50, it follows the Columbia as it sails from Gloucester to the Grand Banks, and returns with over 300,000 pounds of fish. Starting at 6:50, the film shows the path that fish take to market. First they are packed in ice and the cod, at 7:45, is shown being salted. At 10:00, men and women in a fish processing center or canning factory are shown deboning and processing fish. At 11:00, the fish are canned and placed in boxes. At 11:41, the Columbia once again sets out to sea -- but is lost. At 13:14, annual memorial service is held in Gloucester for lost fishermen. "They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships 1623-1923" reads the inscription on the famous monument. This is the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial (also known as: "Man at the Wheel" statue or "Fishermen's Memorial Cenotaph") near the entrance of Stacy Esplanade in Gloucester, Massachusetts, erected in 1925.