Isle of Portland, Dorset.

L/S of the river Thames with St Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Great low angle M/S of Waterloo Bridge. M/S of one of the foundations of the bridge. L/S of the bridge – cars and people are seen crossing. Cut to a lovely shot of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Low angle M/S of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

L/S of the interior of a cave. Camera tilts up to show cloudy sky appear between huge grey rocks. Several other shots, mostly low angle, of large white rocks and stones. This is Isle of Portland, home of the famous Portland stone from which St Paul’s Cathedral and Waterloo bridge were built – and many other known and unknown buildings around the world were, or will be, built.

L/S of the two men working, breaking up large sections of a stone. M/S of the pickaxes bouncing against the stone. M/S of the face of a man wearing hat, working. C/U shot of another man working with his pickaxe vigorously. C/U shot of the pickaxe. High angle L/S shot of a man working. M/S of a man working with electric drill, drilling through the stone so it can be broken and cut. C/U shot of a drill in the stone. Voiceover says that over a million cubic feet per year leave the Island and most of it is for export.

M/S of a man wearing bowler hat (?) inserting a chisel in previously drilled hole. There is a line of inserted chisels in front of him. M/S of another man also inserting chisels into holes. C/U high angle shot of the chisels being banged with a large sledge hammer. M/S of the two men banging the chisels one down the side, another across the stone. C/U shot of chisels being hammered – the cracks can now be seen in the stone. M/S of the two men breaking the large stone.

M/S of the broken part of the stone – huge stone itself – being chained and lifted up in the air. L/S of the stone being placed with the others. M/S of a lorry carrying load of Portland stones as it passes in front of the camera. L/S of a large pile of cut Portland stones waiting to be transported.
FILM ID:31.15

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