A home movie made Ken Ellwood begins with a journey on the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Queen Elizabeth from Southampton to New York featuring life onboard during the trip including people sunbathing and playing games. In New York City the couple take in the site including a visit to the observation deck of the Empire State Building for views across the Manhattan skyline and Central Park followed by a boat trip around the island of Manhattan as well as to see the Statue of Liberty. Ken and Kath...

A home movie made Ken Ellwood begins with a journey on the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Queen Elizabeth from Southampton to New York featuring life onboard during the trip including people sunbathing and playing games. In New York City the couple take in the site including a visit to the observation deck of the Empire State Building for views across the Manhattan skyline and Central Park followed by a boat trip around the island of Manhattan as well as to see the Statue of Liberty. Ken and Kath move to the city of Rochester where they are studying dentistry at the Eastman Dental Dispensary. Filmed through the seasons beginning in autumn the couple travel with friends to Letchworth State Park and see the Middle and Upper Falls on the Genesee River. In winter people ice skating on a lake or river, and in spring blossoming trees and a visit to Niagara Falls. The couple take a flight over Rochester followed by them enjoying a camping and canoeing weekend with friends on Lewey Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The film ends with another boat journey around Manhattan Island or a phantom car ride across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. Title: Atlantic Crossing August 1954 A hand carefully writes the name and address of Mr & Mrs J.K. Ellwood onto a Cunard Line luggage label for the ship Queen Elizabeth changes to Kath Ellwood on the deck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth looking out across Southampton Dock where several other ships are moored. She walks across the deck, above her one of the ships massive funnels. From a viewing platform atop a quayside building friends and relatives wave goodbye to those onboard as the gangway is removed in readiness for departure. The crowds continue to wave as the Queen Elizabeth departs being turned by tugboats and then manoeuvred out of the dock area. Kath waves back at someone on the viewing platform as the ship slowly makes its way into open water passing various ships. Ken Ellwood stands on deck pointing back at something onshore. A father plays deck shuffleboard with his two sons while Kath sits on a nearby deckchair knitting. As the ship travels through the English Channel other passengers play shuffleboard near to where Kath is sitting. Title: First Stop Cherbourg Tugboats accompany the Queen Elizabeth as she enters the harbour at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. In dock other smaller vessels moored nearby and passengers boarding from various gangways. At the stern of the ship four young men play a game of deck quoits while nearby another passenger takes photographs of crates being loaded from a lorry into the ship. Back at sea crossing the Atlantic passengers relax in deckchairs or play shuffleboard. Passengers follow a roped pathway across a deck during windy conditions. Kath walks past exploring the ship including the lifeboats. The wind continues to blow, and passengers use a rope to pull themselves along the deck. The weather improves and a group stands near the bow of the ship. At the stern men play deck quoits while other passengers play shuffleboard or sit in deckchairs soaking up the sun. In her deckchair Kath blows a kiss to her husband behind the camera. Two members of the crew sit of deck, one brushing his hair. Nearby another ship follows the same course as the Queen Elizabeth. A Lancaster bomber in grey livery flies overhead changes to members of the crew playing a game of deck cricket. From a different vantage point, the RMS Queen Elizabeth enters New York harbour, the Manhattan skyline in the background. Title: New York City From the water the island of Manhattan and its city skyline, in the foreground the RMS Queen Elizabeth moored offshore. A road sign for Avenue of America and Central Park South. Traffic moving past skyscrapers on 5th Avenue changes to another road sign for 5th Avenue and West 50th Street. Taxis and other vehicles travel past changing to Kath looking in on a dress shop window. Ken walks past the stone lions outside the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue. The camera points upwards along the side of a nearby skyscraper. Traffic and pedestrians moving along a street changes to a sign for Wall Street. Title: Empire State Building From the street the camera pans up the outside of the Empire State Building on West 34th Street, at street level the men clothing shop of Hart Schaffner & Marx. From the exterior observation deck visitors admiring the views of traffic moving below and the Manhattan skyline and East River. An older woman with two boys looks through coin binoculars and then down onto road and Central Park below. Title: Time Square Neon, electrical and illuminated billboards light up the night skies around Time Square advertising such American products as Canadian Club and Budweiser. An animated neon sign promotes Kleenex Tissues, Apparel for Women and the Hotel Astor as well as Planters Peanuts and Pepsi-Cola. An animated bird flies about another hording for Budweiser, nearby a sign for Cinerama. Title: Boat Ride Around Manhattan The title of a Circle Line tourist brochure reads ‘Sightseeing Yacht Cruises’. A hand opens the brochure to reveal a map of Manhattan. A long queue of passengers slowly boards a boat near a Circle Line kiosk. As the boat pulls away it passes a second Circle Line ship, the hoarding along the side reading’ America’s Favourite Boat Ride’. The Manhattan skyline from a boat on the water with ships moored in the harbour. The boat passes Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The boat docks on Liberty Island changes to show people looking out through the view-holes in the crown of the statue itself. A helicopter flies close to the island past a large sign from the National Parks Service welcoming visitors to the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Back on the boat the Statue of Liberty again but heading back towards Manhattan. Along the way it passes two Staten Island Ferries travelling in opposite directions as well as barges and other boats using the river. The skyscrapers of Manhattan get closer and closer after which the boat passed under the Brooklyn and then Manhattan bridge’s passing an aircraft carrier in dock before passing under the Williamsburg Bridge. Kath looks out across the water as a tour guide speaks into a microphone. A small aircraft flies’ low overhead as the boat approaches the United Nations Secretariat Building, the tour guide continuing to give a commentary. He points out other buildings and apartments blocks the boat as it travels along the East River. A large neon sign atop one building for Knickerbocker Beer. As the boat passes under another bridge a young Africa-American woman seated behind Kath and Ken looks out across the bay. More views of buildings along both sides of the river and Kath going for a walk to the stern of the ships past a flag of the United States of America. Inside Central Park a group of men stand beside a series flag as well as a banner for the ‘Catholic Athletics League LA Milagrosa’. One of the men holds up a baseball bat changing to a baseball player in a red and white uniform holding his bat ready to strike. The man seen previously holding the bat now pitches a ball. People on horseback ride along a track through the park beside a busy road, around them trees blossoming. A horse-and-carriage passes along a busy road. Title: Rochester Thru the Seasons From an elevated position the city of Rochester, New York. Cars travel along a busy road changes to a group of men and women looking at the engine of a car, some of the women are wearing nurse’s uniforms. Ken Ellwood walks over to a car and opens the boot changes to two women in nurse’s uniforms getting out of their car. Three women in white surgical gowns stand looking out from a balcony at the Eastman Dental Dispensary building. They are joined by three more women and a man in a doctor’s coat. They laugh and smile posing for the camera. Kath Ellwood comes out of the Eastman Dental Dispensary building changing to Ken taking a photograph of George Eastman’s House of Photography. He stands under a sign for the building. Kath chases a squirrel around a tree. Title: Supermarket A woman walks towards the Star Super Market where cars are parked out front changing to Ken crossing a road carrying two large paper bags of groceries and a bottle carrier of Coca-Cola. He walks along a road before turning into the front garden of his house on Barrington Street. Written in twigs laid out on the ground the word ‘Fall’. Two women and a man carrying a bow-and-arrow set walk through an autumnal woodland passing trees with brown and red coloured leaves. Behind a fence several deer one of which is being fed by Kath Ellwood. An African American family feed a Bison from behind another fence followed by Kath. In a cage a family of Guinea pigs. A man walks with children across a field near a grove or wood changes to views of various types of trees and their leaving and berries having changed colour during autumn. Kath comes from behind a tree. Title: Hunting Squirrels Kath looks up into a tree at the red coloured autumnal leaves. In a branch a squirrel and another on the ground. Title: Another Hunter A cat sits in a tree looking suspiciously at the camera before carefully climbing down using its claws. Several squirrels jump between branches and more red coloured leaves. Title: Letchworth Park Water from the Genesee River flows over the Middle Falls, part of Letchworth State Park. A group of people, each wearing name tags, walk along a path overlooking both the Upper and Middle Falls. They smile, someone takes a photograph before they get into cars. Another view of the falls and a different car driving along a track passing Kath Ellwood and a second woman who go for a walk through the woods. Ken and Kath walk through a thicket onto a track meeting a man with a set of bow-and-arrows. On a farm a group of people wrapped up from the cold wind listening to a young man speak. In a field two of the men play-fight. Title: Winter On a frozen lake people skating and a couple looking out from their car. The car leaves while back on the lake a family skate together along with crowds of other people. Two and then three women begin to spin on the ice, two speed-skater pass. Everyone is having fun. Title: Spring Cars drives along a boulevard of blossoming trees changes to Kath looking at the blossoms in a tree in a field. She goes for a walk passing more blossoming trees. The waters of the Niagara River flowing over the Niagara Falls, nearby warning signs and a man looking though coin binoculars. Kath, wearing a waterproof, walks past and looks through a set of coin binoculars at both the falls and fast flowing river. Visitors walk across a moat and through an archway into Fort Niagara. Inside flags flying on poles and two men dressed as pre-revolutionary British soldiers. General views of the fort and cannon on display. Kath Ellwood and two other women walk into a garden admiring the blossoming trees and bushes. Ken takes a photograph of one of the bushes, they all wonder around smelling some of the blossom. From the passenger seat a light-aircraft takes off and flies over the city of Rochester before coming into land. Kath Ellwood and another woman walk away from the aircraft parked beside a hanger. Title: Camping Weekend Adirondacks Title: via New York State Thruway Phantom car way passing through a New York State Thruway toll booth and east towards Syracuse travelling along near deserted highways. Pulled off the road Ken Ellwood checks the straps holding a canoe to the roof of the car. The journey continues passing a sign for Manchester changing to another sign for 'Lewey Lake Public Campsite and Picnic Area’. A man with a windup camera and two women, one being Kath, walk through a wooded area. A Tiger swallowtail butterfly rest on a blade of grass changes to the man, woman and Kath getting into a canoe and paddling out onto Lewey Lake. From the shore a speedboat passes with two motorboats travel along a river. Kath in a red jumper and wearing a hat carries a metal bucket and a packet of bread buns to a camping table where the group are enjoying a picnic. From a boat on the Hudson River other craft passing and views of buildings along the shoreline including the Colgate clock and Ellis Island. The boat travels under the Williamsburg Bridge and along the East River passing once again the United Nations Secretariat Building with the Chrysler building in the background. They pass a baseball field, letter about the stadium reads ‘N.Y. Giants’. The boat passes several churches and an ocean liner docked in New York harbour after which passengers disembarked. Pedestrians and traffic move through Time Square changing to a foggy view of the Manhattan skyline as well as Hudson and East River believed to be from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. At night neon signs light up Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue as well as buildings in Time Square. A woman looks at a display of jewels in a case changes to show Time Square lit up at night including a movie theatre showing ‘Run for Cover’ staring James Cagney and John Derek. A display of colourful bouquets in a shop window. A woman gets into a car changing to a phantom car ride across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey with the film ending as the car passes through a toll booth.