Preservation

 

Boyle, D.  (1993).  Video Preservation:  Securing the Future of the Past.  New York, N.Y.:  Media Alliance.

 

This very resourceful book begins with the premise and results of a survey of video collections across the United States.  Among the survey’s many revelations, the differences in practices among all aspects were a common thread enough for the researchers to conclude that no two video archives were alike.  The book went on to recount the topics covered in a symposium on video preservation in 1991.  The common assertion at the symposium was that video preservation must be given a priority.  The book is more of a resource for video preservationist.  Even though the book’s age is now over ten years old the material covered will go on to assist preservationists for years to come.  There are many appendices offering resources to the shared work of preserving video history.  Also helpful are many keys and glossaries explaining professional terms and technical jargon making the book accessible to any information professional.

 

De Stefano, P.  (2003).  Moving image preservation in libraries.  Library Trends, 52/1, 118-132.

 

Paula De Stefano brings the struggle to preserve the fragile nature of film home to the library in her article.  She emphasizes the great importance moving image documentation is to libraries and stresses the librarian’s ever-increasing role in the awareness of preservation.  The article covers the technical as well as the organizational issues that face libraries with extensive film and video collections and offers assistance in words of advice and know-how.

 

Frye, B.  (2003).  The accidental preservationist:  an interview with Bill Brand.  Film History, 15/2, 214-219.

 

The act of preserving film is translated into an art form in the capable hands of Bill Brand.  Brand is an artist, filmmaker, curator, and film preservationist that has worked on many preservation projects from the New York Public Library to the Whitney Museum of Art.  This interview gives the account of his profession in preservation and provides a practical example of some who is working in the field. 

 

Gracy, K.F.  (2003).  Documenting the process of film preservation.  The Moving Image, 3/1, 1-41.

 

The detailed account of preserving a film is the subject of this article.  Karen Gray takes a step-by-step approach in describing the labored process of preserving a film in a film archive.  Aspects such as funding, lab work, and marketing after the preservation is complete is given particular attention.  The article provides a hypothetical situation the continually faces the film archive of today.

 

Hartman, G.H. & Ballengee, J.  (2001).  Witnessing video testimony:  an interview with Geoffrey Hartman.  The Yale Journal of Criticism, 14/1, 217-232.

 

Geoffrey Hartman is one of the founders of Yale University’s Fortunoff Archive for Holocaust Testimonies.  The issues of preserving video testimonies for future generations are discussed in this interview as well as the philosophical issues such a project has on the participating viewers.

 

Hiley, N. & McKernan, L.  (2001).  Reconstructing the news:  British newsreel documentation and the British Universities newsreel project.  Film History, 13/2, 185-199.

 

Before the advent of television, newsreels were the only way the public gained a moving image perspective on the events of their time.  The effort to combine the records of British newsreels is the topic of this article.  The importance of committing these records to a standard showing their location and status is discussed as well as the detailed efforts that went into this endeavor. 

 

Kissel, L.  (2003).  Lost, found and remade:  an interview with archivist and filmmaker Carolyn Faber.  Film History, 15/2, 208-213.

 

The profile of a film archivist/filmmaker is presented in this interview with Carolyn Faber, Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at the University of South Carolina.  Her collected experience in working with the preservation of film is discussed as well as her views on the digital technologies that lie ahead in her profession.

 

Melville, A. & Simmon, S.  (1994).  Redefining Film Preservation:  A National Plan.  Washington, D.C.:  National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress.

 

This Government Document is one of the more prominent documents in the history of film preservation.  In this document is the governmental acknowledgement of the challenges that face the preservation of the medium of film.  The document is a long list of recommendations based on the research and expertise available at the time.  Some of the issues discussed are the developments of new digital technologies, the preservation of specific formats of film, funding issues, and the preservation of original prints.  This documents constitutes a complete re-visioning of preserving film.

 

McGreevy, T.  (1997).  Our Movie Heritage.  New Brunswick, N.J.:  Rutgers University Press.

 

The effort to preserve film and the already lost portions of moving image history is romantically discussed in this book.  The books calls attention to the ongoing struggle and waste to its readers in non-technical language to bring home it point.  Still images of restored and destroyed portions of film are printed in the book along with recommendations for further readings on the subject.

 

Saxena, J. & Weissman, K.  (2003).  Preserving African-American cinema:  The Case of The Emperor Jones.  The Moving Image, 3/1, 42-58.

 

The often-ignored history of African-Americans in film is the subject of this article.  The Emperor Jones was a film made in 1933 and was summarily wiped out from public consciousness due to its racist tones.  Even at the time, the film did not garner much attention as discussed in the article.  However, the authors bring this movie back into public view as an historic document that is worthy of preservation.  Struggles to recover lost scenes are also detailed.

 

Slide, A.  (1992).  Nitrate Won’t Wait:  A History of Film Preservation in the United States.  Jefferson, N.C.:  McFarland & Co.

 

The phrase, “Nitrate won’t wait” was a calling to all film archivists to increase awareness of the plight of preserving deteriorating film stocks.  This book was one of the first to bring the issue to attention.  It details the chemical process by which film slowly destroys itself and turns to ash, bubbles in its containers, and/or becomes combustible in the case of a film warehouse in Hollywood in the 1930s.  The book also traces the professional practices of film archivists and makes recommendations for the future.

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