This Wonderful Creation, 1976, by Eric Hall, is a film curated by the Yorkshire Film Archive. The YFA collects and preserves non-fiction film since the 1890s, which show Yorkshire's rich and varied lifestyles, industries and culture. Many of the films are available to watch, free of charge via the YFA's website.

This Wonderful Creation, a film made by Eric Hall in 1976 features Melanie Hall and Nancy Brearley who walk around the village to Eric Hall's commentary and comments. The Yorkshire Film Archive describes the film as follows:

A beautifully made homage to Titus Salt and his model village of Saltaire, with a highly informative commentary, and filmed in the gentle pace typical of its maker, Eric Hall. Although made in the mid-1970s, Saltaire appears here as idyllic as it must have seemed upon its creation. Despite the control of paternal elitism, the Victorian philanthropist illustrated here makes for an interesting comparison to the view of employees taken by the typical entrepreneur of today.

Eric Hall began making films on the local customs, people and places of Yorkshire in 1929. He was at one time Chairman of the North East Region of the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers and President of Bradford Cine Circle. For a major capitalist, Titus Salt was certainly progressive for his time, but the paean of praise given by Eric Hall needs to be tempered by Salt’s employment of child labour and his big brother style of policing his workers. There are conflicting accounts given why he wouldn’t have pubs in Saltaire as he wasn’t opposed to alcohol. Some say it was because of a fear of debauchery, others that he didn’t want his workers plotting in them. Salts Mill closed in 1986, and the hospital in 1979.

Saltaire in 1976: images from the film: A Wonderful Creation, by Eric Hall

Above: Gordon Terrace, Saltaire, 1976: Playtime - Toys, Games Sports.
Proprietors L & M Priestley.

Above: Victoria Road, Saltaire, 1976, showing young trees.

Above: Victoria Road, Saltaire, 1976, showing Grimley Chemist on the west junction of
Caroline Street.

Above: bottom of Victoria Road next to the bridge across the Leeds to Liverpool canal,
showing The Llama Shop.

Image of old shop front on Gordon Terrace

Above: Renovation work on this Saltaire shop on Gordon Terrace, exposed this sign: Bill's Butchers - Highest Quality Fresh Meat. Prop. W F & V Harrison.
The photograph was taken on 23 October 2016.
Image courtesy of Trevor Hart, 2016

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