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)

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42 library," they were used by a lady called Iris Barry. She was an English lady who had this dream. She had a tiny room up on Madison Avenue. It was her dream to oi^en a film library. Nobody would give her film. She asked me if I could use my influence to get to D. W. Griffith to give her some of his films, which he did. That began the film library at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Before that, Rochester House, I believe, preserved film. I do not know about California. I am sure they have since then done things, but I have never lived tliere so I cannot give you that history. Did I answer your question ? Mr. Preyer. Yes; very eloquently. In fact, you answered questions which I had not thought to ask you. [Laughter.] Mr. Stevens, how about the economics of the film industry. I ask this on behalf of the taxpayers of the United States. Why should not the film industry itself do something about preserving newsreel footage ? Is there not some way to make the preservation pay for itself, in part, by using it as educational materials for schools and that sort of thing ? Does the Government have to put up all the money for changing this to safety film, for example ? Mr. Stevens. I wish the industry would do more. However, certain of the companies have done a great deal in preserving their own film. There are others that are less active in that regard. Financially, for a company today that holds a great supply of nitrate film, it is not an economically desirable thing for them to go to the great expense of preserving it. In other words, the end result does not have income-producing power proportional to what it is going to cost to do it. So, I fear that puts us in the position of having the Government decide whether what they will not do is of sufficient importance for us to do. The material that we preserve will not have greater or even substantial revenue-producing effects after it is preserved. Mr. Preyer. I suppose it also raises the question whether privately held newsreel material ought to be duplicated and maintained in some sort of national archive. I think you suggested this in your written statement. Miss Gish mentioned the Charlie Chaplin films. We are really talking about a national heritage, I assume, rather than just things that private individuals should be able to control entirelv. If all privately held newsreel film was preserved by the Federal Government, I think you estimated it would cost $15 to $30 million; is that right? Mr. Stevens. That is privately held and that held by the Government as well. Mr. Preyer. You mentioned a fixed amount of nitrate film. Are we talking now about just nitrate film ? Mr. Stevens. Yes. Mr. Preyer. So, for $15 to $30 million, we could preserve all of that newsreel film safely for the future? Mr. Stevens. That is my understanding. I would suggest you confirm that with the Archivist, but that is the result of our study.