Lost Memories

DateJanuary 10 1995

Viewing NotesDated 10 January 1995. Includes NHF archival footage from Pierce Permain Collection showing Faneuil Hall Marketplace in 1926. Donahue visits places where film was shot: a chicken farm and a duck farm were there in 1926. Franklin, Mass. amateur 'Franklin newsreels' from 1930 to 1963 both color and b&w. Donahue narrates. Stanley Chilson was cinematographer. Videotape now at Franklin Public Library, oldest library in the U.S., established by gift of books by Benjamin Franklin in 1778. A town of 8,000, now almost 30,000. Donahue visits and dissolves between several scenes. 'Why you can't trust videotape.' Shows people using camcorders. Jim Lindner interview. 'You can have degeneration in less than ten years.' Shows damage to mag sound and magnetic tape. Videotape from 1970s not playing back. The last twenty years 'the videotape gap.' Association of Moving Image Archivists annual meeting in Boston. Over 300 million blank tapes sold in US. Shots of technicians (John E Allen, and WCVB). Jim Lindner demonstrates how fragile videotape is: stretches videotape. Tips: store tapes vertically. Avoid magnetic fields. Make a copy and store original in 30 % rh and 60 degrees. Alan Lewis demonstrates many different formats. Interview with John Allen at Cinema Arts. Advocates transferring film to film. Karan Sheldon says please don't throw things away. Alan Lewis wonders how long this tape will last. ONSITE REFERENCE ONLY.