Street scenes in Latvia, circa 1937
Creator(s)
- Julien H. Bryan (Producer)
- Julien H. Bryan (Director)
- Sam Bryan and International Film Foundation
Biographical History
Julien Hequembourg Bryan (1899-1974) was an American documentarian and filmmaker. Bryan traveled widely taking 35mm film that he sold to motion picture companies. In the 1930s, he conducted extensive lecture tours, during which he showed film footage he shot in the former USSR. Between 1935 and 1938, he captured unique records of ordinary people and life in Nazi Germany and in Poland, including Jewish areas of Warsaw and Krakow and anti-Jewish signs in Germany. His footage appeared in March of Time theatrical newsreels. His photographs appeared in Life Magazine. He was in Warsaw in September 1939 when Germany invaded and remained throughout the German siege of the city, photographing and filming what would become America's first cinematic glimpse of the start of WWII. He recorded this experience in both the book Siege (New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1940) and the short film Siege (RKO Radio Pictures, 1940) nominated for an Academy Award in 1940. In 1946, Bryan photographed the efforts of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency in postwar Europe.
Scope and Content
Street scenes, streetcars, bicycles, automobiles, people on the move, traffic cop in busy intersection at the crossing between the Old Town and the Freedom Monument Plaza in Riga, Latvia. 01:00:35 The Latvian Freedom Monument, the letters inscribed on the monument read: TEVZEMEI UN BRIVIBAI [To Fatherland and Freedom], a soldier stands guard at the base, pan up the same monument to the statue of a woman holding 3 gold stars above her head. This is the Freedom Monument in old town Riga. Side street with a view of Riga Town Hall Square, a woman is cleaning the street with a hose and water. LS of the river Daugava and ships docked at the Riga Commercial Port. Riga Castle (the President’s palace). 01:01:32 LS of Riga Old Town from the Stone Bridge with trolley and pedestrian traffic, St. Peter’s Church in the BG, closer shots of civilians walking across the bridge. Men review “Subscriptions and Advertisements” for a local newspaper. Man on a pay phone outside of Agrobank of Latvia, VS, CUs of the man on the phone. Street scenes, daily life, with the candy factory, “Laima” shop.
Note(s)
The title of this reel including stories RG-60.4171 and RG-60.4172 was labeled “Poland-Danzig” by Mr. Bryan. However, this story only documents the city of Riga. Detailed preservation notes from the film lab are available in Film and Video department files. Additional photographs are available in the USHMM Photo Archives.
The Freedom Monument is in the heart of old town Riga. The sculptures in the lower part of monument show various historical and ethnic moments of Latvia's past. The woman with stars symbolizes Mother Latvia with 3 stars (the historical regions of Latvia: Vidzeme, Kurzeme, and Latgale). The monument was built completely by donations from Latvian citizens. The opening ceremony took place on Independence Day on November 18, 1935 and survived from demolition when the Soviets occupied the city in 1945. The monument is 42 meters high and was sculpted by Karlis Zale.
Subjects
- CARTS/WAGONS
- SIGNS/POSTERS
- AUTOMOBILES
- BANKS
- STREETS
- HORSES
- STATUES
- STREETCARS
- RIVERS
- BRYAN, JULIEN
- BICYCLES
- INDUSTRY
- LATVIA
- BUILDINGS
- BRIDGES
- SHIPS
- CITIES
Places
- , Latvia
- Riga, Latvia
Genre
- Film
- Outtakes.