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Rochester: A City of Quality (1963)

June 19th, 2010

Rochester: A City of Quality (1963)
In light of some of recent civic developments in our town over the past few months (high speed rail, transit centers, new theaters, etc.) I thought it appropriate to pull this old film out of the archives to take a look at the history of Rochester through the eyes of some good old-fashioned propaganda. Rochester: A City of Quality is the title of a film made in 1963 by Rochester Gas and Electric. The film presents Rochester in the most glowing light possible through a narrative that is clearly a product of Cold War industrialism. In one section the narrator declares “Rochester has made peace with the automobile”. And in another, “Change is necessary to keep competitive in industry as well as cities. If you don’t change, change will change you.”

One line in particular left me shaking my head…

People here have made peace with the past… but don’t let such historical preservation beguile you. People here can be tough too. They can be tough with a tree when surgery is necessary. They can be tough with a tree. They can be tough with a house. They can be tough with a city—when surgery is necessary. Yet tender at the same time.

It’s been nearly 50 years. I wonder if Rochester will continue to make “peace” with its past and the automobile, or if change will change us?

The film is in two parts so be sure to watch both! Okay, grab your popcorn. Click PLAY…

Part 1: Quality and the Automobile, etc…

Part 2: Change and Industry, etc…

About the Filmmaker:

This was one of many industrial films made by Jam Handy external link. The Jam Handy Organization created training and promotional films for the military as well as the auto industry including this one enthusiastically entitled “Hired!” external link.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 19th, 2010 at 9:35 am and is filed under Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Rochester: A City of Quality (1963)”

  1. peter says:

    don’t forget its satirical sibling…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQbpdu0zoM

  2. admin says:

    Peter, thanks for sharing the spoof video. It goes to show that a story can be told from two ends of the spectrum and the truth is somewhere in the middle. It’s a sad realty but we could easily make similar videos of every city in America.


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