Prelinger Archives

Brad Bowers · 03-22-2004, 09:33 AM

Don't know if any of you have run across this website before, but it's fascinating. Best if you have broadband or a lot of time on your hands. It's a lot of advertising and instructional films, mostly from the '40s on up, but neat to watch.

Prelinger Archives Film Subject Index

From the site:

"Prelinger Archives was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger in New York City. Over the next twenty years, it grew into a collection of over 48,000 "ephemeral" (advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur) films. In 2002, the film collection was acquired by the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Prelinger Archives remains in existence, holding approximately 4,000 titles on videotape and a smaller collection of film materials acquired subsequent to the Library of Congress transaction. Its goal remains to collect, preserve, and facilitate access to films of historic significance that haven't been collected elsewhere. Included are films produced by and for many hundreds of important US corporations, nonprofit organizations, trade associations, community and interest groups, and educational institutions. Getty Images represents the collection for stock footage sale, and some 1,600 (soon to be 2,000) key titles are available here. The collection currently contains over 10% of the total production of ephemeral films between 1927 and 1987, and it may be the most complete and varied collection in existence of films from these poorly preserved genres."

Art and Andykev, you'll like the films from the Bay Area. There's one from the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition.

Enjoy,

Brad Bowers

MK · 03-22-2004, 12:12 PM

That is a great site. Big files though......which is good.

Andykev · 03-22-2004, 12:55 PM

Brad...I just looked at the site..it is quite impressive..they have a LOT of stuff.

Nice archival footage. I ran one taken in SF during the 20's (the auto's had spoked wheels still, like model A's), and it was amazing to see the early skykline to the city.

Short buildings...ships with sails in port, and well dressed folks on the streets.

Gee, it would be nice to live in an area where a car is not necessary. I know many parts of this country (maybe NYC) where cabs, busses, and subway are all you need. Unfortunately, California is the highway capital of the world...so no car, no ride. Our public transportation sucks...but it was great until the 50's when Oil and GM bought the rails and then sold them!

03-22-2004, 09:33 AM	#1
Brad Bowers Bartender Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Pueblo, Colorado Posts: 2,787	Prelinger Archives Don't know if any of you have run across this website before, but it's fascinating. Best if you have broadband or a lot of time on your hands. It's a lot of advertising and instructional films, mostly from the '40s on up, but neat to watch. Prelinger Archives Film Subject Index From the site: "Prelinger Archives was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger in New York City. Over the next twenty years, it grew into a collection of over 48,000 "ephemeral" (advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur) films. In 2002, the film collection was acquired by the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Prelinger Archives remains in existence, holding approximately 4,000 titles on videotape and a smaller collection of film materials acquired subsequent to the Library of Congress transaction. Its goal remains to collect, preserve, and facilitate access to films of historic significance that haven't been collected elsewhere. Included are films produced by and for many hundreds of important US corporations, nonprofit organizations, trade associations, community and interest groups, and educational institutions. Getty Images represents the collection for stock footage sale, and some 1,600 (soon to be 2,000) key titles are available here. The collection currently contains over 10% of the total production of ephemeral films between 1927 and 1987, and it may be the most complete and varied collection in existence of films from these poorly preserved genres." Art and Andykev, you'll like the films from the Bay Area. There's one from the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition. Enjoy, Brad Bowers

03-22-2004, 12:12 PM	#2
MK Founder Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Vancouver (not B.C), Washington (not D.C.) Posts: 4,822	That is a great site. Big files though......which is good. __________________ All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

03-22-2004, 12:55 PM	#3
Andykev Bartender Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: SF Bay Area - Diablo Valley Posts: 3,460	Thanks Brad...I just looked at the site..it is quite impressive..they have a LOT of stuff. Nice archival footage. I ran one taken in SF during the 20's (the auto's had spoked wheels still, like model A's), and it was amazing to see the early skykline to the city. Short buildings...ships with sails in port, and well dressed folks on the streets. Gee, it would be nice to live in an area where a car is not necessary. I know many parts of this country (maybe NYC) where cabs, busses, and subway are all you need. Unfortunately, California is the highway capital of the world...so no car, no ride. Our public transportation sucks...but it was great until the 50's when Oil and GM bought the rails and then sold them! __________________ "Wadda ya hear, wadda ya say?"

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