Northeast Historic Film

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Northeast Historic Film (NHF) is a regional moving image archive located in Bucksport, Maine. It is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing film and video related to the people of Northern New England.

Contents

The archive safeguards film and videotape through restoration, duplication, creation of access tools such as catalog records, and climate-controlled storage in its Conservation Center.

The Collection

NHF collects professional and amateur moving images related to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The films and videos are preserved and made available to members of the public, scholars, and members of the film and video production community.

The collection includes home movies, silent dramas, industrial films, and independent projects. NHF also has a substantial collection of footage from local television stations dating back to the 1950s. [1] The archives hold over 10 million feet of film and 8,000 videotapes from 1896 to the present.

In addition to its moving image collections, NHF also has a large collection of moving image technology including projectors, cameras, splicers, and viewers, as well as film ephemera including posters, scrapbooks, sheet music, letters, and theater logs. [2]

Education

NHF offers programs for the public, including screenings, online exhibits and events at art museums, film festivals, and agricultural fairs. For moving image professionals, NHF offers internships, onsite and traveling workshops, and an annual summer symposium. They offer a William O'Farrell Fellowship to support study in Northeast Historic Film's collections. [3]

History

Karan Sheldon and David Weiss founded Northeast Historic Film in 1986. Two years later, NHF collaborated with other archives and the Museum of Modern Art to restore the 1921 film “The Seventh Day.” In 1990, NHF began work on “Going to the Movies: A Social History of Motion Pictures in Maine Communities.” The completed project—an exhibition including lectures and screenings—ran at The Maine Mall and Burlington Square Mall in 1996.

With the help of members and friends, NHF bought the Alamo Theatre in downtown Bucksport in 1992. The renovation of the 1916 cinema brought community theater back to Bucksport, Maine. Soon after NHF purchased the building, the archive opened the doors for a public 16mm film screening series. The cinema shows current films every weekend and hosts a number of special events, including screenings of old films projected in their original format. Each screening begins with an Archival Moment, a brief selection from the archives.

In 2003, NHF opened a 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m2) climate-controlled Conservation Center.

Membership services

NHF began offering memberships to the public in 1989. In 1991, NHF created a free video loan program for members. As of 2023, the program has over 450 historic videos available to loan. [4]

Conservation Center

In 2002, NHF broke ground on its $1.8 million state-of-the-art Conservation Center. Nicknamed “The Cube,” the facility was completed in 2003 and is located behind the Alamo Theatre. The structure has 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) of closely monitored, climate-controlled conditions for film storage and preservation. The Conservation Center has three temperature- and humidity-controlled floors. Two floors are kept at 45 degrees Fahrenheit and 25% relative humidity. The third floor, designed to prevent further deterioration of films suffering from advanced vinegar syndrome, is kept at 25 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% relative humidity. [5]

The structure's purpose follows the Library of Congress's National Film Preservation Plan [6] and is the only preservation-level audiovisual storage in the region. In addition to climate-controlled conditions, the Conservation Center is equipped with advanced air filtration and exchange technology, an environmentally friendly fire suppression system, and flood protection. More than forty-five storage clients from across North America send motion picture film and videotape to NHF for safekeeping.

Awards

In 2003, founders Karan Sheldon and David Weiss received Maine Humanities Council’s Constance H. Carlson Award for exemplary service to the Humanities. [7]

In 2013, the Association of Moving Image Archivists honored NHF with the Silver Light Award, for its substantial contributions to the field. [8]

The Society for Cinema and Media Studies named the anthology Amateur Movie Making: Aesthetics of the every day in New England Films, 1915-1960, as 2018 "Best Edited Collection." The book, published by Indiana University Press, contains essays addressing works from the collections of Northeast Historic Film. [9]

Related Research Articles

From Stump to Ship is an amateur industrial film by Alfred K. Ames, former State Senator and owner of the Machias Lumber Company, in Machias, Maine as well as by Dr. Howard Kane of Washington, DC. The half-hour 16mm film was shot over the winter of 1930 in the logging woods and shows logging in the forest with hand tools and horses, then moves to the spring log drive, with loggers using peaveys to break up log jams on icy rivers as the logs are moved from the forest to the mill. Detailed views of mill work, changing the bandsaw, and making shingles. Lumber is loaded onto schooners in Machias for transport to New York. The film was originally silent, with a typed script which Ames read aloud when he showed the film. In 1985, with funds from the Maine Humanities Council, the narration was recorded with the film. The film is distributed by Northeast Historic Film, in Bucksport, Maine. Footage was included in the compilation documentary Woodsmen and River Drivers, Another Day, Another Era which also interviewed the surviving woodsmen of the Machias Lumber Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Film preservation</span> Historic preservation of motion pictures

Film preservation, or film restoration, describes a series of ongoing efforts among film historians, archivists, museums, cinematheques, and non-profit organizations to rescue decaying film stock and preserve the images they contain. In the widest sense, preservation assures that a movie will continue to exist in as close to its original form as possible.

Preservation of documents, pictures, recordings, digital content, etc., is a major aspect of archival science. It is also an important consideration for people who are creating time capsules, family history, historical documents, scrapbooks and family trees. Common storage media are not permanent, and there are few reliable methods of preserving documents and pictures for the future.

The conservation and restoration of photographs is the study of the physical care and treatment of photographic materials. It covers both efforts undertaken by photograph conservators, librarians, archivists, and museum curators who manage photograph collections at a variety of cultural heritage institutions, as well as steps taken to preserve collections of personal and family photographs. It is an umbrella term that includes both preventative preservation activities such as environmental control and conservation techniques that involve treating individual items. Both preservation and conservation require an in-depth understanding of how photographs are made, and the causes and prevention of deterioration. Conservator-restorers use this knowledge to treat photographic materials, stabilizing them from further deterioration, and sometimes restoring them for aesthetic purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preservation (library and archive)</span> Set of activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record or object

In conservation, library and archival science, preservation is a set of preventive conservation activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record, book, or object while making as few changes as possible. Preservation activities vary widely and may include monitoring the condition of items, maintaining the temperature and humidity in collection storage areas, writing a plan in case of emergencies, digitizing items, writing relevant metadata, and increasing accessibility. Preservation, in this definition, is practiced in a library or an archive by a conservator, librarian, archivist, or other professional when they perceive a collection or record is in need of maintenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cellulose acetate film</span> Base material for photographic emulsions

Cellulose acetate film, or safety film, is used in photography as a base material for photographic emulsions. It was introduced in the early 20th century by film manufacturers and intended as a safe film base replacement for unstable and highly flammable nitrate film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mold control and prevention (library and archive)</span>

Mold control and prevention is a conservation activity that is performed in libraries and archives to protect books, documents and other materials from deterioration caused by mold growth. Mold prevention consists of different methods, such as chemical treatments, careful environmental control, and manual cleaning. Preservationists use one or a combination of these methods to combat mold spores in library and archival collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church History Library</span> Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The Church History Library (CHL) is a research center and archives building housing materials chronicling the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The library is owned by the Church and opened in 2009 in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

Richard Rosen is an American politician and businessman who served as member of the Maine Senate from the 31st District, where he represented part of Penobscot and Hancock counties, including the population centers of Bucksport and Brewer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collections maintenance</span> Daily care of cultural heritage

Collection maintenance is an area of collections management that consists of the day-to-day hands on care of collections and cultural heritage. The primary goal of collections maintenance or preventive conservation is to prevent further decay of cultural heritage by ensuring proper storage and upkeep including performing regular housekeeping of the spaces and objects and monitoring and controlling storage and gallery environments. Collections maintenance is part of the risk management field of collections management. The professionals most involved with collections maintenance include collection managers, registrars, and archivists, depending on the size and scope of the institution. Collections maintenance takes place in two primary areas of the museum: storage areas and display areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera</span> Activity to extend the life of historical materials

The conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera is an activity dedicated to extending the life of items of historical and personal value made primarily from paper, parchment, and leather. When applied to cultural heritage, conservation activities are generally undertaken by a conservator. The primary goal of conservation is to extend the lifespan of the object as well as maintaining its integrity by keeping all additions reversible. Conservation of books and paper involves techniques of bookbinding, restoration, paper chemistry, and other material technologies including preservation and archival techniques.

The conservation and restoration of time-based media art is the practice of preserving time-based works of art. Preserving time-based media is a complex undertaking within the field of conservation that requires an understanding of both physical and digital conservation methods. It is the job of the conservator to evaluate possible changes made to the artwork over time. These changes could include short, medium, and long-term effects caused by the environment, exhibition-design, technicians, preferences, or technological development. The approach to each work is determined through various conservation and preservation strategies, continuous education and training, and resources available from institutions and organization across the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photograph conservator</span> Professional who examines photographs

A photograph conservator is a professional who examines, documents, researches, and treats photographs, including documenting the structure and condition of art works through written and photographic records, monitoring conditions of works in storage and exhibition and transit environments. This person also performs all aspects of the treatment of photographs and related artworks with adherence to the professional Code of Ethics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textile conservator</span>

A textile conservator is a conservator-restorer charged with the care, treatment, research, and preservation of textiles. Issues addressed by a textile conservator are generally related to the field of textile preservation, and include damage caused to textiles by: light, mold and mildew, insects, cleaning, surface cleaning, washing, mounting for display, and storage. Variations in textile types and "the diversity of the textile conservator's work makes it a very rewarding profession". Textiles are among the most fragile artifacts, as they are susceptible to damage from atmospheric pollutants, moisture, biological organisms, and environmental changes and care varies with size, shape, material, and condition issues, all of which a textile conservator must be well versed.

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The conservation and restoration of paintings is carried out by professional painting conservators. Paintings cover a wide range of various mediums, materials, and their supports. Painting types include fine art to decorative and functional objects spanning from acrylics, frescoes, and oil paint on various surfaces, egg tempera on panels and canvas, lacquer painting, water color and more. Knowing the materials of any given painting and its support allows for the proper restoration and conservation practices. All components of a painting will react to its environment differently, and impact the artwork as a whole. These material components along with collections care will determine the longevity of a painting. The first steps to conservation and restoration is preventive conservation followed by active restoration with the artist's intent in mind.

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The conservation and restoration of film is the physical care and treatment of film-based materials. These include photographic film and motion picture film stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of photographic plates</span>

The conservation and restoration of photographic plates is caring for and maintaining photographic plates to preserve their materials and content. It covers the necessary measures that can be taken by conservators, curators, collection managers, and other professionals to conserve the material unique to photographic plate processes. This practice includes understanding the composition and agents of deterioration of photographic plates, as well as the preventive conservation and interventive conservation measures that can be taken to increase their longevity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agents of deterioration</span> Major causes of damage to cultural heritage

The 'ten agents of deterioration' are a conceptual framework developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) used to categorise the major causes of change, loss or damage to cultural heritage objects. Also referred to as the 'agents of change', the framework was first developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The defined agents reflect and systematise the main chemical and physical deterioration pathways to which most physical material is subject. They are a major influence on the applied practice of conservation, restoration, and collection management, finding particular use in risk management for cultural heritage collections.

References

  1. "CollectiveAccess error".
  2. Donate Film or Equipment | Northeast Historic Film
  3. "William S. O'Farrell Fellowship". Northeast Historic Film. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  4. "Membership". Northeast Historic Film. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  5. Storage | Northeast Historic Film
  6. "Redefining Film Preservation: A National Plan - National Film Preservation Board (Library of Congress)". Library of Congress . Archived from the original on 2002-06-13.
  7. "| Maine Humanities Council |". Archived from the original on 2003-12-31.
  8. "AMIA's Silver Light Award" (PDF). AMIA. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  9. "2018 SCMS Awards - Society For Cinema and Media Studies". www.cmstudies.org. Retrieved 2018-03-17.