Cornwall, N.Y., Memorial Day Celebration (1920)

★★★★★ · What this REALLY is.. · snapper earl · 2006-08-04

This is the town I grew up in. The info for the movie is incorrect. Here is a description of the day and movie by Cornwall town historian Janet Dempsey... Memorial Day, 1920 Cornwall's Memorial Day of 1920 was a unique occasion in the annals of town his-tory-is there anyone who remembers that memorable day? Another question: how many times a week do you pass the Soldiers' Monu-ment near the Town Hall? Is your attention so focused on making the green light that, like most passersby, you are scarcely aware of the granite shaft and accompanying cannon on the small plot between two busy roads?…

★★★★★ · This film means a lot to me · rprok · 2007-05-14

It was so nice to see just one more time the old clubs and buildings that were once in Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson. I was born in 1955 and may be one of the last generation to enjoy things like Christmas at the Firthcliff Club, activities at Redman's Hall, Easter hunts thanks to the (I think I recall correctly)Chicken Thief Society. It was nice to see some of the old buildings that have since been removed or changed. One of them was one my dad modernized and had a business in for about 45 years. It was fun to see what it looked like in 1920. It was also nice to hear Miss Dempsey's name…

★★★★★ · centenary of the 1815 war · cashel · 2003-10-05

Filmed in 1915, in the small town of cornwall,n.y., this documentary has excellent b/w photography...A slice of life with qualities that have diminished...The pride of the small town in their history is admirable

★★★★★ · Fantastic · marelee · 2007-09-12

I have spent so much time researching the Cornwall area from 1790 through the 1940's. I know in my heart that my Great Great Grandparents and my Great Grandparents along with my Grandparents, all resided in Cornwall at the time of the Parade. This is amazing to catch a glimpse of their life style. I know that some of them were at that parade, I only wish I knew who was who. I absolutely love this opportunity.

★★★★★ · A Remarkable documentation of folks being...just folks · Finiancircle · 2009-04-06

Most pictures, moving or not, from the past show people very much aware that they are being captured on film or in paint. The importance they attached to the event, and their sense of occasion, is frequently (mis)read as stiffness or lack of joy. Here's a rare chance to see people--admittedly on a special day--just being themselves. The particularities of the location and the day have been described elsewhere. I agree with what another reviewer has noted: there are so many people marching in this small town, one wonders who was left to do the watching? But that very issue points up one of the…

★★★★ · Historically interesting · ERD. · 2007-05-19

Cornwall is a small town in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in NY. Watching this film of Cornwall's 1920 Memorial day celebration was like stepping back in time and seeing a more innocent way of life that has vanished from our country