Avon Historical Society President Norah Magrini met with longtime resident Charlotte Kirk to film the Avon movie, ‘Postcard Ponderings’ with editor Lance Roman of Studio Steven Productions.
By DENISE HERSCHEL
To celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the borough of Avon, longtime resident and Avon Historical Society President Norah Magrini wanted to find a new and unique way to mark the occasion.
Her answer: let’s make a movie.
“We now have a 90-minute long movie called ‘Postcard Ponderings.’ It is a way that the audience can learn more about Avon, learn something they may not have known and bring back memories of days gone by as we celebrate the 125th Anniversary,” said Magrini, who headed the movie project which began last year.
Sponsored by the Avon- Historical Society, the movie, “Postcard Ponderings,” was able to be financed with funds awarded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities at Rutgers, Camden and the National Foundation for the Humanities. The funds awarded totaled $6,000.
“After participation in the NJCH Cohort 2024, I learned about community history specifically and how important it is to preserve oral histories before it is too late,” she said. “At one of the cohort workshops last winter, I thought that a video or a movie would be the best way to celebrate the 125th Anniversary and preserve the stories of so many of our old buildings and places that do not exist but are still remembered.”
She said the movie project is the result of what will be a year-long development that must be completed by October.
“The other part of the project is placement of plaques at the Avon Municipal building where the bell is from the old Taylor Memorial Baptist Church as well as postcard scannings for the Avon Historical Society,” she said.
“Postcard Ponderings” began filming last July with all of the interviews wrapped up in late September. Lance Roman of Studio Seven Productions in Princeton Junction, N.J. was the editor and videographer and Magrini interviewed 27 long-time Avon residents.
“Everything that they said was written down or recorded,” she said. “All of the oral histories have been made into a book that will be presented to the library and the Avon School at the Founder’s Day Celebration,” she said.
The trailer for the movie is currently on the Historical Society’s website at avonbytheseahistoricalsociety.com and the Facebook page Avon history. The movie in its entirety will be premiered on March 23 at the Avon Founder’s Day Celebration at the Avon Municipal building from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
“The movie is touching, the memories are poignant and meaningful and at times, funny,” she said. “I think it will surely bring back memories of days gone by as we celebrate the 125th anniversary.”
