Video: Silent Movie About Lima in 1927 From General Motors

I first read about the videos of Lima in the 1950s (the year of filming turns out to be 1944) mentioned by David Sasaki on Global Voices Online, who wrote they they had been posted by the Lima-based poet and journalist, Fernando Obregón Rossi on the Peruvian blog, pospost. The original You Tube poster poetafer, also has a 1927 video of Lima, which many bloggers have reposted.

For some reason, most scenes repeat in this video filmed by The General Motors Export Division, in a film titled 'General Motors Around The World'.

This is the first text. If you prefer, scroll straight to video.

"General Motors one of the world's greatest commercial and industrial corporations.

Over a million persons get their livelihood from entrprises under its sway; its manufacturing plants hum busily in 250 cities; its products bring pleasure and comfort into the lives of untold thousands in all parts of the world."

There is then a cut to a view of a GM vehicle in Andes, traversing the altiplano amidst snow-capped mountains and driving through villages with streets full of llamas.

Then there is map of of GM distibutors and dealers in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America.

The next text says:

"The vast mineral wealth of Peru is the basis of commercial progress and luxury."

Now, there's a cut to an elite women dressed in flapper fashion standing in front of a mansion (I wounder if it is what is currently the Lima Country Club), The woman descends the steps and boards into a luxury GM model.

The next text reads:

"Lima, Peru, has the oldest traffic laws in the world. The man who invented the one-way street came from Lima."

I don't know if that is a true claim or not, but the camera cuts to a street in what is now Central Lima, where a GM models competes with pedestrians and burros. The Plaza San Martin is shown, which had just been inagurated in 1921.





Here is the video:

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