Record Staff Report
The Bellarmine University W.L. Lyons Brown Library has restored an 80-year-old video of the Abbey of Gethsemani, located near Bardstown, Ky.
The film, which is a little more than seven minutes, depicts the landscape and buildings at Gethsemani along with “glimpses of daily life,” including monks working on the grounds, said a press release from Bellarmine.
The silent black and white film — which is suspected to have been made in 1936 — was discovered by Dr. John Stemmer in 2008 in the tower of Horrigan Hall on Bellarmine’s campus. It’s not clear why or for how long the film was stored in Horrigan tower, said the release.
The film was kept in the library’s archives until recently when it was restored. Funding for the restoration was provided by a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Stemmer, director of Bellarmine’s library, believes the film was part of a collection of home movies made by Benjamin Robertson, a local businessman and philanthropist. The film was given to Bellarmine by Robertson’s son, Father Vernon Robertson.
Brother Lawrence Morey, the archivist for the Abbey of Gethsemani, said the film is an “invaluable addition to our historical records. It is not only a piece of history, but a very real reminder to the monks here of the deep meaning of the ground we walk on and the buildings we live in.”
The restored film is available for viewing in Bellarmine’s library and the original film reel will remain in the library’s archives.
