Schlieren Photography | Shell Historical Film Archive

While black and white Schlieren photography had a long-standing tradition, innovations by the National Physical Laboratory on 16 mm equipment solved the challenges of incorporating color. The Shell Film Unit further refined the technique using 35 mm film.
The Schlieren technique is a method of making visible any phenomenon where changes of refractive index occur in transparent solids, liquids or gases.
For more information about Shell’s Historic Film Archive please contact: [e-mail]
#Shell #ShellFilmUnit #HistoricFilmArchive #Documentary #History #Engineering #Photography #Schlieren #16mm #35mm
---
Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.
The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.
Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.
As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.
During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.
While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.

[@shell]

If you enjoyed this video, please check out the full 'Shell Film Unit - Historic Archive' playlist, where you'll find lots more gems!
th-cam.com/play/PLEPIVJVCFQH2hoYONdHiQlVrvYQ-k4Xay.html

[@LucasAndAdele]

Q 5+

[@LucasAndAdele]

Q 5+

[@Tim_OSK]

Gosh, back in the day, people used to be so much more curious. Just imagine a corporation creating such educational videos nowadays, when a TikToker’s attention span does not last more than 30 secs…

[@Afro408]

😂😂😂😂Too right mate. I’m 73 and still haven’t lost my curiosity. 👍🍻

[@Tim_OSK]

@@Afro408 that’s what I appreciate about pre-internet generations (including mine) - people used to learn stuff and refer to books for knowledge, not like “I can always google it”

[@kramnam4716]

Started to read this comment but drifted off

[@cabaneencac5168]

This is what happens to a world where everything happens by magic by pressing on a touch screen. People get everything they want without understanding what is happening mechanically electrically , optically , etc . Even worse: if we don't understand the science we cry conspiracy.

[@oneilluminatus]

The Schlieren photography is amazing. I have always wondered about how they could possibly film supersonic shock waves and such.
I learned something today. Thanks for the upload. 👍

[@johnrhodez6829]

Ce to see a Newman Sinclare camera in use. A friend and I used one for making 35mm films in the 1960's it was an ex BBC News reel camera.
Clockwork driven, so intrinsically safe. The film was in a cassette which held 10o ft. We even manage to convert it to provide sync pulses for sound recording.
First time I have seen one for over half a century.
Happy days!

[@philhealey4443]

Heck, just here with recollection of Schlieren lines jumping out of my head jogged by watching the excellent Shell supersonic flight video. 40 years after encounters of supersonic lab experiments at Plymouth Poly!

[@matter9]

Fantastic.

[@NESMASTER14]

This was neat. I always associated schlieren photography with supersonic applications; cool seeing all the other interesting and clever uses for it.

[@joinedupjon]

Great! - what year was it made?

[@ab5w]

Looks like 1959 from the thumbnail

[@mitchelldakelman7006]

I have a 16mm print for US distribution with narration by American narrator Peter Thomas

[@luigicirelli2583]

impressive right?

[@BrieCheese2]

yes

[@garybroadhurst3548]

I understand the physics of this as that was my degree, but I've never studied any optics. Can someone with more knowledge please explain - why does the refracted light not appear shifted to the wrong position on the final image? Thanks.

[@garysettles]

Schlieren optics involves a projector-like series of lenses or concave mirrors in which the the refracted light does indeed appear shifted in a focal plane related to the light source. In the case of this Shell film, that focal plane contains color filters. Later on, an image of the subject being photographed (person, airplane model, etc.) is formed, and in that image the refracted light is colored but no longer shifted out of position, because that image is sharply focused. That is the image that is recorded by the camera. In schlieren photography, the object under study is always sharply focused in the recorded schlieren image.

[@user-hr9yr1xe4b]

Shell Ukraine deceived me when filling up for money. And he refuses to compensate. I don't recommend filling up at Shell.