Holland, MI Reel, 1940s

This 1940s home movie, labeled Can 10845 from the Holland, Michigan Collection, likely captures small-town life in this Dutch-influenced Lake Michigan community. Shot in faded Kodachrome or black-and-white, it might show kids playing near windmills, family strolls along the Big Red Lighthouse, or early Tulip Time festivities with wooden shoes and tulip beds. Shaky shots of downtown stores or Lake Macatawa boats reflect a pre-WWII snapshot of Midwest Americana through an amateur’s nostalgic lens.