Dating the posters

Film Shows in Market Lavington and Easterton

In Market Lavington Museum we have numerous posters for ‘Market Lavington and Easterton Hospital Week’ events. These tell us everything, except the year which was probably some time in the 1920s or 30s. They give the day and date for events – for example, ‘Wednesday 15^th August’ but on average every seven years there is a Wednesday 15^th August so that doesn’t help much.

A poster that mentions film shows in the village may help to sort out the years for many other posters. This is the poster. The original is best part a metre long.

Poster for 1928 film shows now in Market Lavington Museum

 

The big clue here is the lead film on Wednesday 15^th August, which featured the child star, Jackie Coogan. The film, ‘Johnny get your hair cut’ was made in 1927. 1928 had a Wednesday 15^th August so we bet on the poster being for film shows in that year.

‘Winners of the Wilderness’, shown on Friday 17^th August was also a 1927 film, starring Tim McCoy and Joan Crawford.

1928 thus would appear to be the year for this poster.

In 2010, Trinity Church hires the Community Hall from time to time to give village folk a cinema experience in Market Lavington. As this poster shows it is not a new idea.

Tags: charity, Easterton, film, hospital week, Market Lavington, Museum