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Category: Preservation

A woman leans over to closely look at a stretch of film between two larege reels about three feet apart.

Lost 19th century film by Méliès discovered at the Library

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Library conservators recently made a startling discovery in a batch of decaying film reels -- a long-lost 1897 film by early cinema icon George Méliès. The French magician-turned-filmmaker's "Gugusse and the Automaton,” the first appearance of a robot on screen, has long been sought after by sci-fi fans and cinemaphiles. No one had seen it in more than a century when Library staff carefully unwound it. You can see it now in this post and on the Library's National Screening Room.

Posted in: Film, Library Work and Employees, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Performing Arts, Preservation, Preservation and Conservation, Researcher Stories

A colorful collage of main characters from many of films inducted into the 2025 National Film Registry

The 2025 National Film Registry: “The Thing,” “Inception,” “Clueless” and More!

Posted by: Neely Tucker

The 2025 National Film Registry is out today, showcasing a group of 25 films spanning 118 years and including fan favorites such as “The Thing,” “Clueless,” “The Big Chill” and “The Incredibles.” The Library’s annual addition to the list of films to be preserved for their cinematic and cultural heritage starts with the 1896 silent film, “The Tramp and the Dog,” and stretches to the 2014 Wes Anderson picture, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Posted in: Film, Library Work and Employees, National Film Preservation Board, National Film Registry, Performing Arts, Preservation, Preservation and Conservation, Prints and Photographs Division