To call the Little Ferry fire catastrophic is a massive understatement.
I knew nitrate film decomposed, and films made on it were flammable, but the value of the amount of material lost because of fires is incalculable. So no wonder good prints of many silent films are scarce now!
Great article. Scorsese touched upon the tragic loss of (silver nitrate) films of the French pioneer George Méliès in "Hugo". Theda Barra was a huge star who dominated silent, pre-code movies, but most of us have barely seen anything about her.
I strongly STRONGLY recommend you all see "Dawson City: Frozen Time" for a complementary perspective on the lost (and in this case, found) archives of early film. It is a true story too fantastic to comprehend. The found footage includes a short newsreel scene of the (thrown) 1919 World Series that is priceless to baseball historians.
I've watched the documentary. I came across it one night on TCM, and it tells a remarkable story. In my town, our local movie theater has been in continuous operation since 1921, and I'm often tempted to inquire whether they have any old films stored anywhere.
It blows my mind how little these films were valued in the past, but I understand that I'm saying that with the benefit of hindsight. With the passage of time, the common commodities of today can become valued treasures of tomorrow.
It saddens me that so many films have been lost, but I take some comfort knowing that most of those films would have been lost due to decomposition before restoration technology was in place to save them - after all, nothing lasts.
That said, it does make me appreciate it all the more when previously lost films manage to be rediscovered, restored, and made available to a new audience.
To call the Little Ferry fire catastrophic is a massive understatement.
I knew nitrate film decomposed, and films made on it were flammable, but the value of the amount of material lost because of fires is incalculable. So no wonder good prints of many silent films are scarce now!
Great article. Scorsese touched upon the tragic loss of (silver nitrate) films of the French pioneer George Méliès in "Hugo". Theda Barra was a huge star who dominated silent, pre-code movies, but most of us have barely seen anything about her.
I strongly STRONGLY recommend you all see "Dawson City: Frozen Time" for a complementary perspective on the lost (and in this case, found) archives of early film. It is a true story too fantastic to comprehend. The found footage includes a short newsreel scene of the (thrown) 1919 World Series that is priceless to baseball historians.
I've watched the documentary. I came across it one night on TCM, and it tells a remarkable story. In my town, our local movie theater has been in continuous operation since 1921, and I'm often tempted to inquire whether they have any old films stored anywhere.
It blows my mind how little these films were valued in the past, but I understand that I'm saying that with the benefit of hindsight. With the passage of time, the common commodities of today can become valued treasures of tomorrow.
It saddens me that so many films have been lost, but I take some comfort knowing that most of those films would have been lost due to decomposition before restoration technology was in place to save them - after all, nothing lasts.
That said, it does make me appreciate it all the more when previously lost films manage to be rediscovered, restored, and made available to a new audience.
"passage of time" . . . Now, where have I heard that phrase.
Sad but familiar to learn of studios “discarding” silent films…like libraries that “de-acquisition” (aka dump) books. Likewise,
many valuable network/local TV program tapes were erased/recorded over to use again.
Thanks for another great newsletter!