Frame After Frame
Taking a Look at the Motion Picture
Collections in the National Archives
“Ption
roduced by the Work Projects Administra-
. . . Produced by the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration . . . Produced
by the U.S. Air Force . . . Produced by the Agen-
cy for International Development . . .”
These motion picture production credits
refer to only a few of the hundreds of federal
government agencies and organizations cited
in the closing credits of motion pictures held
within America’s film vault, the National Ar-
chives. Added to these are titles donated from
film collectors, small independent production
companies, and even the major television net-
works. All in all, there are more than 108,000
motion picture titles available for study and
review in the Archives.
The National Archives and Records Admin-
istration (NARA) has amassed one of the largest
34 Prologue
By Phillip W. Stewart
and most historically rich documentary film col-
lections in the world. As the official repository
for permanently valuable federal records, it pos-
sesses over 360,000 reels of film dating from the
1890s to the end of the 20th century. These
films are part of 349 federal and donated mo-
tion picture collections within NARA. More
than 75 percent of the films are in the safekeep-
ing of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video
Branch of the Special Media Archives Services
Division, located at the National Archives in
College Park, Maryland. The rest are housed
in NARA presidential libraries and regional ar-
chives located around the country.
The various motion picture collections,
like other records in NARA, are organized
by record group (RG). Each record group
contains the records of a federal entity,
such as an agency, department, or bureau.
The motion pictures are predominately
documentary-type films, but educational,
informational, instructional, and newsreel
categories also make up portions of the over-
all collection. There are a few theatrical titles
as well. Most of these films were made or
acquired by Uncle Sam without restrictions
and are, therefore, free of copyright and are
royalty free. However, there are a number of
films, especially in the Donated Materials
collections, that do have copyright or use re-
strictions. The Motion Picture, Sound, and
Video research room staff can clarify and
provide guidance to researchers.
In order to get an idea of the vast scope
of the subjects covered and the titles held
within NARA film holdings at College Park,
Summer 2010
Scenes from A Visit to Yellowstone National Park.
this discussion divides the record groups
that contain motion pictures into three cat-
egories: Civilian, Military, and Donated.
America at Peace and War:
The Civilian Agency Films
The National Archives has a wealth of motion
picture titles that document the civilian side of
the federal government. This category is the larg-
est in terms of represented agencies, with 159
record groups. An example of an early govern-
ment-made film is The Making of an American
(1913), which was produced by the Bureau of
Mines (RG 70) and documents the assimilation
of immigrants into American society. A glimpse
of how the New Deal handled the Great Depres-
sion can be seen in the motion picture Hands
(1934) from the Work Projects Administration
(RG 69). Films concerning Civilian Conserva-
tion Corps camps, soil and forest reclamation,
development of water power, and the recreational
use of national parks include films like A Visit to
Yellowstone National Park (1937) and Power and
the Land (1940), from the Office of the Secretary
of the Interior (RG 48) and the Department of
Agriculture (RG 16), respectively.
Frame After Frame
Civilian government agency World War
II–era titles like Joe Comes Back (1943),
Family Feud (1944), German Reprisals:
Destruction in Greece (1944), and A Chal-
lenge to Democracy (1945) document our
government’s efforts to communicate with
foreign and domestic civilian populations.
They were produced by the War Production
Board (RG 179), Office of War Information
(RG 208), Office of Strategic Services (RG
226), and the War Relocation Authority
(RG 210), respectively. These titles are just
a few of the more than 2,100 films within
those four record groups. Axis motion pic-
tures, captured before the end of hostilities
or seized during the Allied occupation and
used to document war crimes, like Japan in
Time of Emergency (1933) and With Our Air
Force in Sudetenland (1938), are among the
films included in the National Archives Col-
lection of World War II War Crimes Records
(RG 238) and the National Archives Collec-
tion of Foreign Records Seized (RG 242).
Motion pictures from the Department of
State (RG 59) deal with U.S. foreign policy and
foreign relations issues; The Marshall Plan at
Work in Great Britain (1951) is a fine example.
The U.S. Information Agency (RG 306) pro-
duced documentaries for distribution abroad
about the many aspects of life in the United
States. Among its 17,000-plus reels of film are
titles like Pursuit of Happiness (1935), The Coun-
try Store (1950), Presidential Nomination (1956),
and Music in American Education (1969). The
Agency for International Development (RG
286) examines foreign aid, economic and rural
development, and lifestyles and cultures and
documents AID projects in developing coun-
tries with films like Kitchen Come True (1945),
Giant in the Sun (1957), and Ambassador: The
Life and Work of a Man (1979). Reels with the
titles Republic Steel Strike (1937) and Baltic States
Investigation: Hearing Before the Select Committee
to Investigate the Incorporation of the Baltic States
into the U.S.S.R. (1954) are among the records of
the U.S. House of Representatives (RG 233) and
the U.S. Senate (RG 46).
The U.S. space program is documented in
the motion pictures of the National Aeronau-
tics and Space Administration (RG 255). The
collection consists of over 11,500 reels of ed-
ited and unedited films, including titles like
Prologue 35
Scenes from The Marshall Plan at Work in Great Britain.
Project Mercury: Western Electric Range Report
for August (1960), TR-3268 Fixed Wing Aer-
ial Recovery Demonstration (1967), and Space
Shuttle: A Remarkable Flying Machine (1981).
Social concerns ranging from housing to
poverty are addressed in films like Unfair Hous-
ing Isn’t Unfair; It’s Illegal (1969) and A New
Life for Rose: The Program of a Senior Hous-
ing Project (1976), which are in the records of
the Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment (RG 207). Motion pictures from
the Department of Labor (RG 174) focus on
labor-management business relations, un-
employment, status of the economy, and job
opportunities, as seen in films like Pin Money
(1940) and Harvest of Shame (1960).
On the Home Front and “Over
There:” The Military Agency Films
In terms of number of reels, the motion pictures
of the U.S. military services represent the largest
film collection in the Archives. There are primarily
four reasons for this. First, our country was repeat-
edly involved in wars and conflicts during much
of the 20th century. Second, the War and Navy
Departments and their successor, the Defense
Department, valued motion pictures for docu-
mentation of operations, campaigns, training,
education, troop orientation, and public relations.
Third, even before the National Archives was es-
tablished, the Army safeguarded and extensively
cataloged their film titles and retained their nega-
tives, masters, and prints. Last, the Department of
Defense initiated a program of nitrate film conver-
sion that saved tens of thousands of historic reels
from decay. Because of these efforts, the Motion
Picture, Sound, and Video Branch now holds film
that dates from the beginning of the last century
in 40 military record groups.
During World War I, the U.S. Army Signal
Corps (RG 111) documented America’s involve-
36 Prologue
ment, and its collection contains more than 480
titles consisting of almost a half-million feet of
film on approximately 990 reels shot during
the 1917–1919 period. Films such as Cavalry
Training in the U.S. (1917) and Aisne-Marne
Operations, July 18–August 6, 1918, 42nd Divi-
sion (1918) are excellent examples. Over 12,000
more titles in this record group cover Army life,
maneuvers, and battles up to 1980.
Activities of the U.S. Navy (RG 428) fill
about 13,300 reels from before World War
I through 1980 with titles like USS Holland
(Submarine) Trials (1904), Invasion of Guam:
Activity Aboard USS New Mexico (1944),
and Poseidon Launch (1971). Approximately
2,900 reels of motion pictures from the U.S.
Marine Corps (RG 127) dating from World
War I to the late 1970s, include such titles as
Soldiers of the Sea (1939) and Hawk Missile
Firing, 29 Palms, CA (1962).
The U.S. Air Force Commands, Activi-
ties and Organizations (RG 342) cover early
aviation and Air Force activity from 1906 to
the early 1990s with over 8,900 reels. Titles
like Activities of the 94th Aero Squadron
(1918), Dedication of Wright Field (1927),
Capt. Robert S. Johnson, Fighter Pilot (1944),
USAF “Goodwill” Tour (1954), and TAC
Operations, Homestead AFB (1962), are fine
representative examples.
All theaters of military activity during
World War II, the occupation of Germany
and Japan, war crimes trials, and the Korean
and Vietnam conflicts are well documented
within these record groups.
Americana: The Donated Material Films
Gifts to the National Archives make up a
large segment of the overall collection. Do-
nated films are usually personal or organi-
zational motion pictures that have been
received by the National Archives under a
deed of gift. By definition these are not fed-
eral records and may be under access restric-
tions imposed by the donor. These films are
preserved because they are directly related to
other federal records. They also serve to en-
large and illustrate the history of the United
States and of the American people.
Probably the oldest film in the custody of
NARA is in this category. Carmencita, Spanish
Dance (1894), a Thomas A. Edison Kinetoscope
from the Thomas Armat Collection (ARMAT-
ARMAT), is now 116 years old. Also included
in the donated category are newsreel collections
from Fox-Movietone (FOXMN-MN), 1927–
1964; Hearst (HSRT-ND), 1963–1967; Para-
mount (PARA-PN), 1937–1957; and Univer-
sal (200-UN), 1929–1967. Other notable film
collections in this category include the Ford
Motor Company (FC-FC), 1903–1954; the
Longines-Wittnauer Watch Company (LW-
LW), 1951–1955; and the March of Time
(MT-MT), 1934–1953. At this writing, there
are a total of 161 Donated Material collections
that contain motion pictures.
Another fine example of a donated motion
picture collection is from the Harmon Founda-
tion. William E. Harmon established the foun-
dation in 1922 to fund parks and playgrounds
in growing communities and to provide loans
for students. By 1967, when the foundation
ceased its activities, its scope encompassed
community and family life, education, religious
beliefs, and the art and culture of minority and
ethnic groups. The 300 or so motion picture ti-
tles, which date from 1930 to 1951, document
arts, crafts, and societies throughout the world
with particular emphasis on Native Americans,
African Americans, Africans, Mexicans, and
Chinese. Harmon Foundation films (H-HF)
such as The American Indian: When the White
Summer 2010
Scenes from Space Shuttle: A Remarkable Flying Machine.
Man Came and After (1933) and Ceramics Is a
Disciplined Art: Use of the Potter’s Wheel (1949)
were donated without restrictions.
The Archival Research Catalog
In an effort to allow enhanced access to all
its holdings, including historic motion pic-
tures, NARA developed the online Archival
Research Catalog (ARC). This is the latest
web-based research tool that provides a por-
tal to the content and physical descriptions
of archival materials. ARC is continually
growing, and every week new descriptions
are added. As of the summer of 2010, about
68 percent of NARA’s records were described
in ARC. Even so, as the archivists remind
researchers, “Just because it’s not in ARC
doesn’t mean it’s not in our holdings.” Learn
and use ARC at www.archives.gov/research/
arc to review the latest catalog updates.
Once on the ARC home page, enter a
subject or title into the blank box, and press
Search. After you get your first list of results,
find and select the Refine Search button.
This will bring up the Archival Descriptions
Advanced Search page. Make sure that the
Limit Results button is set at 2,000, and then
select Highlight Search Terms. These settings
will ensure that you get the greatest number
of hits on your subject and that all match-
ing words will be highlighted in yellow. Now
scroll down the page, and you’ll find a sec-
tion called Type of Archival Materials. Since
you are looking for film footage, deselect all
the types listed except Moving Images. This
will narrow your next set of search results to
motion picture and video items. Then click
on the Search button, and you should find a
cleaner and highlighted film list to review.
Once you have read through the search re-
sults, selected some, and read the descriptions,
Frame After Frame
you’ll probably end up with a list of titles that
you’d like to see. Regrettably, your options for
viewing the films are somewhat limited.
Viewing Options
First, you can visit the National Archives in
College Park and view the titles in the Motion
Picture, Sound, and Video research room. If
you choose to do this, it’s best to send an e-mail
to the staff in advance of your visit (mopix@
nara.gov), with the title and ARC identification
number, to determine if a reference copy of the
title is available on either film or videotape. If no
reference copy exists, you may request that one
be made, at no cost to you. The only downside
to this process is that it may take several weeks.
Another option is to hire a private film
researcher to make VHS or DVD reference
copies of your selected titles and have them
sent to you. For those who live outside a
reasonable driving distance of College Park,
this may be a viable cost option when com-
pared to the price of an airline ticket. A list
of researchers is available at www.archives.
gov/research/hire-help/index.html.
Over the last few years, NARA has part-
nered with video production and distribu-
tion companies that have produced a num-
ber of DVDs that contain a small percentage
of the titles in the 349 collections in Amer-
ica’s film vault. Therefore, you might want
to search online sources like Amazon, Barnes
and Noble, or your favorite DVD retailer for
the titles on your list.
With the explosive growth of the Internet,
and the fact that most of the film collec-
tions in the NARA are not under copyright,
some titles are now accessible as streaming
video via various web sites. Google Videos,
Internet Archive, and YouTube come to
mind (NARA’s own YouTube channel may
be found at www.youtube.com/USNational
Archives). So, lastly, you may want to search
the web for your title; you never really know
what’s out there in cyberspace.
That’s a Wrap!
This country is fortunate to have such a rich
collection of motion picture recorded his-
tory. However, with the possible exception
of Universal Newsreels, much of the NARA
film collection is seldom seen by the general
public and is underutilized as a historic re-
source. Only through regular reminders, en-
hanced use of the footage by media produc-
ers, and its increased application as a histori-
cal research tool, can the American people
and their elected officials ensure that it’s pre-
served and accessible for future generations.
Frame-by-frame, it’s worth cherishing.
© 2010 by Phillip W. Stewart
To learn more about
NARA’s motion picture hold-
ings, go to www.archives.gov/
research/ and click on “Motion
Picture and Sound.”
To see clips from some of NARA’s motion pic-
ture holdings, go to www.youtube.com/usnation-
alarchives.
Author
Phillip W. Stewart is an award-
winning author of six NARA motion
picture–related reference books: Bat-
tlefilm: U.S. Army Signal Corps Motion
Pictures of the Great War; War Wings: Films of the First Air
War; Projected History: A Catalog of the National Stories Pro-
duced by Universal Newsreel, Volume One and Volume Two;
America’s Film Vault: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pic-
tures Held by the U.S. National Archives; and Aerial Aces of
the Universal Newsreel, 1929–1931. His article “Battlefilm”
appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of Prologue.
Prologue 37