One of two 'lost' films shot by Jesuit missionaries in China in 1947-48 identified by Prof. Joseph W. Ho (Ph.D. Michigan, Albion College, MI). The original reels, containing over 3000 feet of 16mm film, had been tucked away in an Institute storage cabinet for many years. The films contain vivid scenes of everyday life and missionary activity in China prior to the founding of the PRC. Both in full color, "Ageless China" includes soundtrack. Important historical source for the study of Jesuit missions to China during the postwar period.

"The documentary, entitled "Ageless China," is composed of footage shot by Fr. Hubbard, SJ, in 1947-1948 Peiping, Shanghai, Yangzhou, Nanjing, and Sheshan (Zose). This screenplay was proposed by Fr. William Klement, a priest attached to the Yangzhou mission who detailed the film, shot-for-shot, in a 5-page letter written in 1948. As such, the copy at the Ricci Institute is the closest version to a complete documentary of the Yangzhou mission during its postwar operation. "Ageless China" does exist as a VHS transfer at SCU but that copy is of rather poor quality. We have the original footage here, complete with the original soundtrack ...3000 feet of film in total.... The pre-1949 scenes depicted in them would be of significant interest to historians of modern China."-- Dr. Joseph Ho, Ph.D.

Dig. file (m4v, mp4, etc.) in Video folder.

Shows river and street scenes, with various shops and activities; school yard activities, including basketball; Louis Dowd, S.J. and boy scout activities; outdoor Mass; martial arts demonstration; catechism class; writing and sewing class. Jesuits pictured include Eugene Fahy, Louis Dowd, William Ryan, and William Klement. Includes footage of some of the films listed above.

"Yangzhou 1948" is the "lost" complete film that I'd only read about in letters stored at Santa Clara University; some of the raw footage has been scanned by the Jesuit archives there, but it is all out of order and does not match the screenplay proposed by Fr. William Klement, a priest attached to the Yangzhou mission who detailed the film, shot-for-shot, in a 5-page letter written in 1948. As such, the copy at the Ricci Institute is the closest version to a complete documentary of the Yangzhou mission during its postwar operation...."-- Prof. Joseph W. Ho., Ph.D.

2nd note--".....came across a complete rough-cut copy of "Yangzhou 1948," the 16mm color documentary film that Fr. Klement and Fr. Hubbard worked on, which is described in Klement's highly detailed letter of December 22, 1949 that I examined in February 2014. According to a typed note attached to the original film storage canister, the film was given by Hubbard to another priest affiliated with USF - possibly Fr. Francis Rouleau, SJ, or Fr. John Houle, SJ - in March 1958. The film was last viewed in the early 1970s, and reportedly has not been examined or catalogued since..." --ibid.

Dig. file (m4v, mp4, etc.) in Video folder.