This 1985 Mattapoisett Video Promises Overwhelming Nostalgia

I just watched an incredible video that was put together by Tim Smith from Mattapoisett. The home video is from a drive that Smith took back in 1985. Smith had rented a camcorder for the weekend from Video Visions in Mattapoisett and wanted to get his money's worth, so he took a ride around Mattapoisett, New Bedford and Fairhaven with the camera rolling.

The Camcorder Weekend That Became a Time Capsule

Little did Smith know how interesting the video would be 40 years later. The nostalgia on this video is so strong that it was honestly overwhelming at times. As the video progresses through the SouthCoast, it is hard to figure out what is more interesting: the things that stayed exactly the same over the past 40 years or the changes that have been made over the past 40 years.

Regardless, if you spent any time in New Bedford, Fairhaven or Mattapoisett, this is a video that will give you all the feels.

Get our free mobile app

A Ride Through 1985 Mattapoisett and Beyond

While the video is certainly heavy on Mattapoisett content for the first half, the second half features a ride from the New Bedford side of the New Bedford Fairhaven bridge all the way through Fairhaven on Route 6 and finishes up at the border of Mattapoisett.

The music in the video is so calming and goes incredibly well with the video sequence. It shows the year 1985 for what it was: a calmer, slower, more peaceful time. It honestly made me yearn for the past more than I can ever remember. A video that can bring out that strong of an emotion is certainly worth watching. It's a can't-miss for people who grew up here.

The Back Story From Tim Smith

"Back in the 1980s, before Blockbuster came to town, my family would head to Video Visions in Mattapoisett to rent movies. The store, owned by family friend Bobby German, was always buzzing with customers browsing shelves, tape rewinders humming, and plenty of local gossip to catch up on.

After a while, Bobby started selling TVs and VHS recorders. When my job situation improved, we splurged on our first “big” screen TV, a Sharp 26-inch set. At the time, that felt huge. During one visit, Bobby pulled me aside to show off a new gadget: a VHS camcorder. It wasn’t exactly lightweight, the camera connected to a 20-pound recorder that hung from your shoulder. The cost? A whopping $1,200. Jokingly, I asked if I could rent it for the weekend, but he agreed.

That weekend changed everything. I filmed everything I could: family time at the beach, Ned’s Point, the wharf, and even the drive between each stop. By Sunday night, I was hooked That was the start of what became a lifelong obsession with video.

Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours preserving those old tapes, converting them from VHS to DVD, then to digital formats like MP4. Today, my collection includes more than 900 video segments, stored across multiple drives to keep them safe. I’ve filmed everything from town parades and Mattapoisett River Races to political rallies, storms, and family milestones."