This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published June 19, 2010 and can be found here.
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 . The Jam Handy Organization created training and promotional films for the military as well as the auto industry including this one enthusiastically entitled "Hired!" .
