Explore Black History

ca. 1963

This film is from a collection of home movies filmed by the family of Michael Holman, an important figure in the history of hip hop. The collection predominately contains family vacation footage shot when Holman's father, Lt. Thomas Holman, was stationed in Europe with the US Army. Most of the footage was captured by Holman's grandmother, Pauline Thompson Wood. In addition to the European vacation films, the footage shot by Pauline Wood documents her involvement with the Baha'i Faith and includes footage of Baha'i events and pilgrimages to holy sites in Israel and Palestine. There is also footage of the family at home in San Francisco and other sites in California.

This film is from a collection of home movies filmed by the family of Michael Holman, an important figure in the history of hip hop. It consists of a single reel of 8mm silent acetate film with color (a), an original metal film reel (b), and an original cardboard film box (c).
The film begins with a series of wide shots taken during the 1963 Baha'i World Congress in London. Next, a group of people pose at the entrance of an unidentified building. Linda Holman stands on the far left, wearing a beige coat with a red sweater underneath. This is followed by a shot of people entering a car parked in a spot marked, "Calais." A series of shots depicting various monuments around Paris, France follows. A middle aged man and a young girl, Linda Holman, pose in many of the shots. Linda wears a navy skirt and jacket. There are two brief shots that appear to have been taken in Nice, France and Monaco. A single shot depicts two young girls on the street of an unidentified city dressed in elaborate white gowns.
This is followed by several shots of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican where Linda Holman wears a white sweater, blue skirt, and pink headband, and several shots taken most likely in Nice. A series of shots taken from a moving vehicle depict small villages surrounded by large mountains in an unidentified location. Next, there are multiple shots from a moving vehicle of a large group of West German soldiers and their armored vehicles in an unidentified location. Alice Holman waves at the camera wearing a pink hat and jacket, as she is boarding a ship. The final shot of the film is taken from the deck of ship flying a Hungarian flag.
The standard yellow Kodak 8mm film box (c) that accompanies the film has handwritten mailing addresses for processing film in Europe. It also includes a brief handwritten content note.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Michael Holman Family Collection

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2016.31.3.14.1abc

silent films
home movies
color films (visual works)
8mm (photographic film size)

© Michael Holman
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

acetate film, plastic and cardboard

Duration: 3 Minutes
Length (Film): 50 Feet

Title • Michael Holman Family Home Movie #14

nmaahc_2016.31.3.14.1abc

NMAAHC

MICHAEL HOLMAN FAMILY HOME MOVIE #14

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1960s • 1950s

Wood, Pauline Thompson • Holman, Alice • Holman, Michael • Holman, Linda

Europe • England • United Kingdom • Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur • Holy See • Vatican City • West Germany • Greater London • Monaco-Ville • Île-de-France • London • Nice • Paris

Description and travel • Religion • Family • Motion pictures

City • London • County • Greater London • Country • England • Nation • United Kingdom • Continent • Europe • City • Paris • State • Île-de-France • Country • France • City • Nice • State • Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur • City • Monaco-Ville • Country • Monaco • City • Vatican City • Country • Holy See • Country • West Germany

silent films • color films (visual works) • 8mm (photographic film size) • Home movies

Video recordings

Limited Use