While sifting through film archives at RNLI headquarters in Poole, The Lifeboat's editorial assistant, Jon Jones discovered an unknown and very rusty film canister...

The mysterious canister was handed to Sue Denny, custodian of the Institution's film and photographic archives, who later discovered after consulting with the National Film Archive in London that it contained a highly flammable nitrate film! Sue bravely took the film to London for a preview using a specialist hand wound viewer, and later transferral to a modern (and far safer!) format.

The following photographs were digitally 'grabbed' from the film which was thought to have been made in 1923 for the RNLI's centenary in 1924 - it features Whitby and Staithes lifeboats and tells the story of a rescue by a motor lifeboat...'Saved by a motor lifeboat' is now available for sale on video.

For details on how to obtain a copy of this or other RNLI films, please see the advertisement in the back pages of this issue of The Lifeboat.