The Search Is On for Cedar Point Convention Film

[Sofia]

The 1922 convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A. was filmed on tape. 

If you know of a copy of this film, please contact the Museum Department at MuseumDonations@jw.org or write to the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1 Kings Drive, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987. Our brothers hope to locate this unique piece of our theocratic history.

 

Source: https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/united-states/The-Search-Is-On-for-Cedar-Point-Convention-Film/

[Jay D]

This is an essential piece of theocratic history. It looks like the Organization is hoping to get it in time for perhaps a future project online in September or even the Annual Meeting later in the year.

I hope and pray they discover at least someone who has a copy. 

I always think that with the billions of people in the world somewhere someone has an essential historical item that's needed for any historical interest. 

Even if it turns out to be in possession of a family not in the truth the find would be worthwhile and may turn into a good witness.

[Old]

Very intresting. It wasn't filmed on tape, that is a fairly modern process. It was liley cellulose nitrate (ie gun cotton.) If a serviable copy is discovered it will be as close to a miracle as we could get. Thousands  of Hollywood reels have totally decomposed from not being stored properly.

 

I like miracles.

[Sofia]

31 minutes ago, Old said:

Very intresting. It wasn't filmed on tape, that is a fairly modern process. It was liley cellulose nitrate (ie gun cotton.) If a serviable copy is discovered it will be as close to a miracle as we could get. Thousands  of Hollywood reels have totally decomposed from not being stored properly.

 

I like miracles.

Thank you so much for this enlightening 😁

sorry for the tape mention

 

[Thomas Walker]

I've never seen a direct appeal like this. But if there's a copy anywhere in the world, I'm betting they'll get one.

[Dhanyel]

And let the searches begin 😀

[jwhess]

13 hours ago, Old said:

Very intresting. It wasn't filmed on tape, that is a fairly modern process. It was liley cellulose nitrate (ie gun cotton.) If a serviable copy is discovered it will be as close to a miracle as we could get. Thousands  of Hollywood reels have totally decomposed from not being stored properly.

 

I like miracles.

Here are some quick pics of the problems in old silver nitrate film. It might help our friends get a sense of the difficulty.  I have an acquaintance that has several reels o the Photo-Drama film in this unusable condition.  These are not pictures of his collection.

 

[Hinata]

This seems to be first occasion where the brothers ask to look for a historical piece of our society to the public internet. I don’t remember this happening before. I always have a great interest in our spiritual heritage.

 

My personal guess is … If Brother Hess @jwhess don’t have it, then no one does. But I hope to be proven wrong.

 

[jwhess]

2 hours ago, Hinata said:

This seems to be first occasion where the brothers ask to look for a historical piece of our society to the public internet. I don’t remember this happening before. I always have a great interest in our spiritual heritage.

 

My personal guess is … If Brother Hess @jwhess don’t have it, then no one does. But I hope to be proven wrong.

 

Thank you for the kind thoughts.  I do not possess any original nitrate film (it is dangerous to handle).  I do not have a copy of the 1922 Cedar Point convention either.  But someone posted a video that scans across some of the original photographs (including the famous "panoramic" photo of the entire crowd under the trees).  It is accompanied by a lovey group sing song 107 from our Bible Students hymnbook of the day called "Hymns of the Millennial Dawn" published in 1905.   The song is 'Valley of the Blessings".  I have included a copy of the song below.

 

Since the video is readily available on YouTube I have given the link.  If Youtube bothers someone, just PM me and I will give you a link to my copy of the video (but it is the same one).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9rfvhG_-_8&t=38s

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by jwhess

[Michał]

4 hours ago, Hinata said:

My personal guess is … If Brother Hess @jwhess don’t have it, then no one does. But I hope to be proven wrong.

My thoughts exactly!

[jwhess]

It is good to remember that the film was not a Watchtower publication.  It was made privately and there were advertisements offering it for sale.  So the hope is that in some attic or in some old closet, someone has a copy that great-grandad bought in 1923.

[Cushi]

I really want to see this video!

[Suspended in Time]

I've been looking for something of historical interest for a while - the special bulletin "Building a Home on Wheels"  that was mentioned in the 1934 Bulletin (pre-cursor to Our Kingdom Ministry). It contains a full set of plans to build your own 🙂  One Brother sent me a few photos (see below) and there are also a couple of photos on page 445 of the Proclaimers Book.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cushi]

Although probably none of us on this forum own a copy of the tape, we can definitely all pray that someone who does sends a copy to headquarters 

[Skye]

I hope that it's a donation, and not sold to the highest bidder like Br. Prince Nelson's Bible (smh).  May Jehovah bless this search for our theocratic history!

[Sun]

Brother Franz also spoke about that day, but it is curious that he did not mention the detail of the movie, he would be an eyewitness and would see it first hand, perhaps he would have provided some clue....

*** w87 1/5 p. 28 Looking Back Over 93 Years of Living ***
It was in the year 1922 that a general convention of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society was held for the second time at Cedar Point, Ohio. Here we were most powerfully exhorted by Brother Rutherford to “advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom of him.”
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1987326&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=53

[runner92]

It just hit me that this year marks 100 years. Wow!

Edited April 14, 2022 by runner92

[Susan Cook]

Jehovah is in complete control of this.

 

At the time of the event , if Jehovah saw fit to have it recorded.. that he would have made it happen.

 

If he wanted the record to be preserved until now , then he would have made it happen.

 

If Jehovah now wants this record to be found…….he will make it happen!

 

The brothers at headquarters now just have to do their part. 🌹

[Susan Cook]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:29 PM, jwhess said:

It is good to remember that the film was not a Watchtower publication.  It was made privately and there were advertisements offering it for sale.  So the hope is that in some attic or in some old closet, someone has a copy that great-grandad bought in 1923.

I hope to watch it some day!

Edited April 23, 2022 by Susan Cook

[Susan Cook]

Jehovah will absolutely see to it that  the organization gets their hands on this recording ( assuming there is one ), IF it is his will….
 

It will not come down to highest bidder / random circumstances…. etc etc 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Susan Cook