https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/7ae8d430-be64-464a-b578-2f2b8aa89ea1 Directed by Bob Lapresle and prepared by the British Film Council, “Let’s See” is a 1945 Technicolor picture that takes a look at the manufacture of optical lenses and their many uses throughout the different industries, from microscopes to spectacles to full use in the war effort during World War II. It opens by mentioning how a camera lens can capture any moment for posterity’s sake. Although most people see a lens only as a glass object “with mysterious properties” (mark 01:10), the narrator notes that “the lens is a think of beauty, an accessory to the human eye.” At mark 02:10 the narrator explains how all lenses and prisms are made of glass prior to launching into a discussion of how such items are produced, while the process unfolds on the screen. It’s explained how lenses have a variety of uses, including binoculars, cameras, and sextants. In an era before computers, mathematical work is seen (that can last up to a year!) to figure out proper lens shape. At mark 03:15, the film reminds us that as Britain became embroiled in WW2, lenses were used for such devices as field glasses and aerial cameras. In peacetime, they are also used by optometrists to correct eyesight (mark 03:55). By mark 05:50 there is a discussion of how sand is used in the making lenses and the process involved. Several minutes later, at mark 09:30, lenses are shown being refined and polished, with one finished product — a prism — being checked for accuracy at mark 12:45. Other lenses are shown at mark 13:52 projecting and making films. “In peacetime … the British optical industry reflects in its own fine products the determination to supply none but the best,” the narrator says at mark 16:00. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBu3qxbFsuE Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:10:29 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/7ae8d430-be64-464a-b578-2f2b8aa89ea1 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.