[TRIP TO VICTORIA FALLS, RHODESIA / ZIMBABWE 1930s HOME MOVIE]

This silent black-and-white home movie, believed to have been filmed by British tourists in the 1930s, offers a glimpse into colonial-era travel in Southern Africa. It features extensive footage of Victoria Falls and the surrounding region, including the Zambezi River, nearby villages, the Victoria Falls Hotel, and early tourist activity, presumably connected to the Cape to Cairo Railway. The film concludes with scenes that appear to be from Cape Town, South Africa – though unconfirmed – featuring both tribal life and urban imagery, such as rickshaws.

00:00 Views of what is believed to be Selborne Avenue, Bulawayo, in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) (00:12). POV footage from a moving vehicle showing a lake and scenic landscapes (00:20). Scenes of dense vegetation with a park-like atmosphere and a couple walking through (00:35). People sitting at a picnic table (00:50). Footage of their view of the surrounding nature (00:53). Footage of Victoria Falls, located on the border between Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and the Zambezi River, into which the falls flow (01:03). A bridge crossing the Zambezi River (01:27). Extensive footage of Victoria Falls (01:37). British colonial tourists visit locals living in a village of small thatched huts (02:47). Local children interact with the camera (03:31). Views of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River (03:52). Scenes from a walkway through a forest (05:09). Additional views of Victoria Falls (05:20). The Victoria Falls Hotel, built by the British South Africa Company in 1904 (05:39). Views of the Zambezi River (05:46). Views of a sandy bank along the river (05:57). Fast-moving water forcefully flowing down the river and over the waterfalls (06:16). Tourists are transported by a small tram to the Devil’s Cataract, the westernmost and one of the most dramatic sections of Victoria Falls (06:50). Many visitors arrive in the area with luggage by train (possibly the Cape to Cairo Railway) (06:57). Scenic footage of the nature surrounding Victoria Falls (07:18). Rock formations (07:31). Footage of a nearby town (07:53). Footage of a beach (08:01). Views of people relaxing on the beach (08:13). Rickshaws are pulled through town (08:44). Close-up footage of a rickshaw driver dressed in a decorated uniform with a large headdress (09:00). Cattle (09:09). Footage of the photographer visiting a tribal village (09:18). Agricultural fields (11:11). Footage of male members of the tribe outside the village (11:24). Views of a tribal village, featuring scenes of round huts and residents (12:02).

Victoria Falls is a town in western Zimbabwe and a gateway to the massive waterfall of the same name. Here, the Zambezi River plummets over a cliff and into the Boiling Pot before flowing through a series of gorges. The Devil’s Pool, a natural infinity pool, is on the edge of a sheer drop. Spanning the river is 1905 Victoria Falls Bridge. The surrounding Zambezi National Park is home to white rhinos and elephants