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Posted by: Mike Mashon
It’s a good week for silent film lovers at the Packard Campus Theater with four consecutive programs starting Wednesday. And as usual, all will be accompanied by live music. We welcome London favorite Stephen Horne for two WWI related-screenings on Wednesday (On the Firing Line with the Germans, about which I wrote last week) and …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures, Silent Film Project
Posted by: Mike Mashon
During the centenary observance of World War I, we’ve been prioritizing the preservation of films in our collection pertaining to the conflict. Foremost among these is a film called On the Firing Line With the Germans, shot in 1915 by Wilbur H. Durborough and his cameraman Irving Ries. Library staff members George Willeman and …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures, World War I
Posted by: Mike Mashon
It’s ironic that Calvin Coolidge—30th President of the United States and a man so famously taciturn his nickname was Silent Cal—was also the first President to make wide use of mass communication. His December 1923 State of the Union address was the first time any President had appeared on radio and his March 1925 inauguration …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures
Posted by: Mike Mashon
Dwight D. Eisenhower–born on this date in 1890–is widely credited with being the first Presidential candidate to use television advertising; you can see many of his 1952 TV spots at the excellent web site The Living Room Candidate maintained by our colleagues at the Museum of the Moving Image. Eisenhower’s media team also produced a …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures
Posted by: Mike Mashon
No one can doubt Thomas Dewey’s (1902-1971) impressive resume. As a federal prosecutor and then as Manhattan District Attorney, he convicted the head of the New York Stock Exchange for embezzlement, and his relentless pursuit of Mafia crime bosses turned him into a national celebrity and the inspiration for the radio show Gangbusters. As Governor …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures
Posted by: Mike Mashon
As we enter the homestretch of the 2016 Presidential campaign, we’re sure to see an increasing number of television ads. Although social media is now an important part of any candidate’s promotional arsenal, the amount of money spent on TV ads continues to grow with each cycle. Given the ubiquity of TV spots, it’s hard …
Posted in: Film/Video, Television
Posted by: Mike Mashon
This is a guest post by Amy Jo Stanfill, Processing Technician in the Moving Image Section and coordinator of the Silent Film Project. As we have mentioned in a post or two, the survival rate of films released in the silent era is abysmally low. This statement has long been an article of faith in …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures, Silent Film Project
Posted by: Mike Mashon
Rumor has it we’re in the midst of a Presidential election season, and now seems an opportune time to share some films either about Presidents or produced for political campaigns. William McKinley (1897-1901) was the first to appear on film, but by far our largest single collection devoted to one President is the 381 titles …
Posted in: Film/Video, Motion Pictures
Posted by: Mike Mashon
The following is a guest post by David Gibson, a Processing Technician in the Moving Image Section. The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation has welcomed hundreds of visitors from all corners of the globe since its opening more than nine years ago. This year alone we hosted the 10th Orphan Film …
Posted in: Copyright, Video Games