Hale, Richard Collection

SummaryThe Richard Hale Collection consists of 30 reels shot between the 1920s and 1984. The majority of the films are amateur films documenting the many aspects of the logging industry and how it has changed over time. The footage covers the entire spectrum of the industry from the equipment used to the practices of the loggers in each step of the process. The collection also contains a few films produced by and for the University of Maine at Orono School of Forest Resources, previously the Forestry Department. These films show students learning the science of managing forests. The collection also contains educational films sponsored by commercial enterprises and governmental agencies. Educational films include materials on preventing and treating forest fires, children learning about mill work and logging and how trees become paper. Most notable of the educational materials is a 1942 film about how wood is used in everyday life and in the war effort during World War II. The film was sponsored by the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

Biographical/Historical NotesRichard Hale is an Associate Professor Emeritus in Wood Technology at the University of Maine School of Forest Resources. The Department of Forestry was started at the university in 1902 with grant money from the Maine legislature. The University took over funding and management of the department in 1929. In 1935, the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit was founded with C.M. Aldous as its leader. The department was accredited by the Society of American Foresters for the first time in 1937 and the first Master of Science degree was conferred in 1938. The Ph.D. program in forest resources was approved in 1970. The School of Forest Resources became the College of Forest Resources in the 1980s.

RepositoryNortheast Historic Film

AvailabilityAccess is restricted; consult repository for detail.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and UseAuthorization to reuse and/or reproduce must be obtained from Northeast Historic Film. See http://www.oldfilm.org/research for more information.