National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979 (1979)

Record Details:

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174 MQV UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS. INC . 100 UNIVERSAL CITY PLAZA, UNIVERSAL CITY CA. 91608. 213-985-4321 S^jteniber 12, 1979 Mr. Richardson Preyer, Chairman Congress of the United States House of Representatives Government Information and Individual Rights Subcotmittee of the Caimittee on Government Operations Raybum House Office Building, Roan B-349-B-C Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Preyer: First of all let me apologize for the late reply to your letter of July 24, 1979 and the attached listing of questions. We have been away from the office a good part of the time and additionally needed to make certain inquiries. The following are answers to your questions in the same sequence as in the listing: 1. In order to preserve its nitrate film Universal regularly inspects its nitrate negatives and the materials installed to protect these negatives to determine if any deterioration has occurred. Universal, fron time to time, also appropriates funds used to convert deteriorating negatives fron nitrate to acetate film and to irrprove and install additional protective material in its film library. 2. Air-conditioning of film vaults, a relatively modem development, inpedes the deterioration of nitrate film. However, air-conditioning does not prevent the deterioration of nitrate film, and nitrate film can ranain in good condition even without air-conditioning in certain instances. For exanple. Universal has sane nitrate film vdiich is more than 50 years old, v^ch was only recently placed in air-conditioned vaults, that is in virtually as good a condition as vfhen first acquired by Universal. At the present time, all of Universal 's nitrate film is stored in air-oonditioned vaults as part of the effort to slow potential deterioration of nitrate film. However, certain of Universal 's vaults, located until 1975 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, were not air-conditioned. It is Universal 's understanding that at the time the donated newsreel collection was placed in the National Archives' vaults in Suitland, Maryland, these vaults were not air-conditioned either. 3. On the basis of my review of correspondence in Universal 's files regarding this matter, it appears that the suggestion that Universal donate its newsreel collection was first made to the Catpany verbally by unsp)ecified individuals associated with the National Archives. Mr. James W. Moore, Chief of the Audio-Visual Branch of the National Archives and Record Service, Washington, D.C. 20408, appears to have been the individual associated with the Archives most directly responsible for Universal 's donation of its newsreel collection.