Picture this a sturdy concrete structure standing proudly amidst the bustling traffic of Port of Spain. This is Humphrey Film Vault a silent sentinel of Trinidad and Tobago’s cinematic past.
Built in the 1920s by William Pettigrew Humphrey a Guyanese cinema pioneer the vault stands as a testament to an era when cinema was a beloved pastime. Humphrey initially stored his films in his Broadway offices. However safety concerns led the constabulary to order him to move them outside the city limits. So he built this medieval-looking concrete structure.
At that time the vault stood at the edge of the sea in Corbeaux Town a fishing village. But in the 1930s as Port of Spain expanded and Wrightson Road was extended the sea was reclaimed. The Humphrey Film Vault was left surprisingly inland.
The vault fell into disuse after Humphrey’s death in 1941. The shift from highly flammable celluloid film to safer cellulose acetate film in the 1950s further reduced the risk of fire.
Today the Humphrey Film Vault is a fascinating relic. It is a tangible link to Port of Spain’s transformation and to a time when the magic of cinema captivated audiences. It quietly whispers stories of a bygone era a time when Corbeaux Town thrived at the water’s edge. Now it stands as a poignant reminder of the city’s growth and the evolution of the film industry itself. A true treasure of Trinidad and Tobago’s history.