Joan Branch Collection, 0706, 0712 Guide to the Joan Branch Collection Guide prepared by NHF staff and consultants; machine-readable finding aid created by NHF staff and consultants Northeast Historic Film

P.O. Box 900, 85 Main Street, Bucksport, ME 04416

Machine-readable finding aid created by Paige S. Lilly. 2008. Description in English. Descriptive Summary Joan Branch Collection 1920-1940 0706, 0712 Colby, Forrest H. (1869-1938) Swan, Joseph C. film 42 film reels (7400 ft.) : si., b&w and col. ; 16 mm. reversal pos. Northeast Historic Film

P.O. Box 900, 85 Main Street, Bucksport, ME 04416

This collection comprises motion picture film of holidays at Pleasant Pond in western Maine and summer and winter logging activities filmed by Forrest Colby. The collection includes family life in and around Shanghai, China, and excursions by car in China and steam ship travels filmed by Joseph E.C. Swan, an American living in Shanghai. Important Information for Users of the Collection

The NHF database describes the contents of this collection in detail.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection is arranged in two series.

Access

Visit the NHF website at http://oldfilm.org/research for information on accessing the full collection.

Acquisition Information

The film collection was donated to Northeast Historic Film by Joan Branch in 1989 and 1990. Joan's grandfather was Forrest Colby and Lena and Joseph Swan were her parents. Joan Branch lived in Mt. Kisco, New York, and died in 2006.

Preferred Citation

Joan Branch Collection, Northeast Historic Film.

Biography Donor

Joan Swan Branch [1925-2006] was born in Shanghai, China. She was the daughter of Joseph E.C. Swan and Lena Mary Colby, [b. 1893] who were married in Shanghai 1923. Branch was the granddaughter of Forrest Colby of Bingham, Maine, who was Maine Forest Commissioner. Joan Branch lived in Mt. Kisco, New York.

Creator

Forrest Colby [1869-1938] lived in Bingham, Maine, and was prominent in the lumbering industry in Maine. He served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1909 to 1912 and in the Maine Senate from 1913 to 1916. Colby was an early conservationist and was appointed Maine Forest Commissioner in 1917. He and his wife, Carrie Belle Robinson, had two daughters, Lena Mary and Florence Haddash Colby.

Creator

Joseph Edwards Corson Swan [1898-1960] was a founder of the Shanghai investment banking and brokerage firm Swan, Culbertson & Fritz. He returned to the New York to form J.E. Swan & Co., which was dissolved in 1942. He then joined E.F. Hutton as a partner. He was president of the China Society of America, and a director of the Far East - America Council of Commerce and Industry.

Scope and Content Note

The collection is comprised of home movies shot on 16mm film by Forrest Colby and his son-in-law, Joseph E.C. Swan. The films show summer and winter activities of the Colby family around Pleasant Pond, Maine, and of forestry operations in Maine. The collection also contains footage shot in China by Joseph E.C. Swan in 1928-1935, with scenes of the Swan family at home in Shanghai and of automobile and ferry travel in the countryside.

Indexing Terms Personal Names Colby, Forrest H. Swan, Joseph E. C. Subjects Americans--China--Shanghai Forests and forestry--Maine Outdoor recreation Rivers--Maine Rural conditions Places Augusta (Me.) Bingham (Me.) Caratunk (Me.) Kennebec River (Me.) Saint John River (Me. and N.B.) Honolulu (Hawaii) Hangzhou (China) Shanghai (China) Clovelly (England) London (England) Paris (France) Pleasant Pond (Me.) Genres and Forms of Materials Home movies Series Description Series I Forrest Colby home movies 1920 to 1940 film 23 film reels (2500 ft.) : si., b&w and col.; 16 mm. reversal pos. Series II Joseph E. C. Swan home movies 1926 to 1935 film 19 film reels (4500 ft.) : si., b&w and col. ; 16 mm. reversal pos.