The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Launch of TSS Principe Perfeito 22nd September 1960
Hard graft and champagne at the successful launch of a Portuguese cruise liner, built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson.
From the collection of:
Overview
The Swan Hunter shipyard flaunts its shipbuilding prowess on Tyneside in a short newsreel by local film production house, Turners. The sleek Portuguese passenger cargo liner Principe Perfeito is surrounded by elaborate ceremonials on launch day at the Low Walker Neptune works, a cause for pride and reassurance for the shipbuilders. Rather more unusual is the extended focus on workers greasing the slipway and knocking out the keel blocks prior to the traditional launch.
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