Evening star., 1926-09-05
HISTORIC FILMS TO BE SAVED
IN FEDERAL ARCHIVES BUILDING
Officials to Preserve Photographic Rec
ords of Noted Voices as Well In Huge
New Structure.

Through motion picture Aim and
Photographic record the face. form
and voice OF the Nations truly great
will now be handed down to posterity
in the huge archives building to be
erected soon facing the Mall.
Decision has been reached by those
in charge Of the Governments big
building program that a part OF the
proposed archives, between Twe!fth
and Thirteenth, B and c streets, shall
be set aside for the preservation OF
films and Photographic records or
historic value.
For years this phase Of preserving
the action and the voices of historic
occasions has been urged upon Gov
eminent officials in different capaci-
ties, but not until the opportunity
opened UP in the great archives build
ing did the Government have the
chance to consider the matter In a
manner becoming to it's significance to
America.
Films Privately Preserved.
Growth Of the two industries-filn
and phonographic-has been phenom.
email with the past few decades, and
already there are recorded, not In
Government files but in the hands of
private individuals, precious records,
in celluloid and wax composition.
which keep indelibly more graphic
reproductions of historic events than
have ever been possible heretofore by
the so-called still photograph" and
written or printed document.
Living" history will thus be posi-.
BILE for untold generations to see and
hear in vivid form.
Among those who have been urging
the Government to take steps for
preservation Of historic Aims and
phcnograph records have been numer-
our representatives Of the industries
themselves. But the significance OF
such preservation has been fully ap-
preciated by such authorities as Her
bert Putnam, librarian Of Congress.
Procedure Not Settled.
How the archives will be managed,
which pictures and Photographic rec.
ords will be admitted, and how, are
questions which are to be determined
later, when Congress sets up the man.
agement OF the archives. This is a
step to be reached in the future, when
the building is further along. At pres.
ent condemnation proceedings are un-
der way through the Department Of
Justice for the land on which the
building Is to be located, and plans are
being drawn in the Office of the super.
vising architect. The archives prob
ably will be the second Of the great
Federal structures to go up here, un.
der the Governments building pro-
gram, the first one being the Internal
Revenue Bureau Building.
Already, DIR. Putnam explained yes.
terday, the Government has possession
OF few motion picture films, which
were submitted to the Library Of Con.
gress under the copyright law. AS
most Of the films are infiammable,
however, DR.. Putnam explained, they
we're nearly all returned to the owner,
under that provision Of law which pro.
vided for return Of copyrighted prop.
erty to the owners at the discretion Of
the librarian. To date the Government
has had neither practical means for
preservation. protection or use Of such
films, and no arrangement has been
made for keeping them, in any guam
t!ty. Cost to producers Of fling two
copies of films which could not be
properly protected by the Government
was said by DIR. Putnam to have been
one reason for the return Of most Of
the films.
Careful Selection Certain.
Although the policy Of selection and
the methods for selection Of those to
be preserved, remains to be worked
out, the present intention seems to be