Northeast Historic Film facts for kids

Northeast Historic Film (NHF) is a special place in Bucksport, Maine. It's like a treasure chest for old movies and videos! NHF is a group that doesn't make a profit. Their main job is to find, protect, and share films and videos from people in Northern New England.

This amazing archive keeps films and videotapes safe. They do this by fixing old films, making copies, and storing them in a super-controlled, cool place called the Conservation Center. They also create ways for people to find these films, like making special lists.

What Does NHF Collect?

NHF collects all kinds of moving images. This includes films and videos made by professionals and even home movies! These come from the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. NHF keeps them safe and lets students, researchers, and filmmakers use them.

Their collection has many different types of films. You can find old home movies, silent movies, films made by companies, and independent projects. NHF also has a huge collection of videos from local TV stations, going all the way back to the 1950s. They have over 10 million feet of film and 8,000 videotapes! These films and videos were made from 1896 up to today.

Besides films and videos, NHF also has a lot of old movie equipment. This includes projectors, cameras, and tools for editing film. They also have cool movie-related items like posters, scrapbooks, old sheet music, letters, and records from movie theaters.

Learning and Fun at NHF

NHF offers many programs for everyone to enjoy. They show movies, create online exhibits, and host events at art museums, film festivals, and even farm fairs!

For people who work with films, NHF offers special learning chances. They have internships, workshops (both at their place and in other towns), and a yearly summer meeting. They even have a special scholarship called the William O'Farrell Fellowship. This helps people study the amazing collections at Northeast Historic Film.

The Story of NHF

Karan Sheldon and David Weiss started Northeast Historic Film in 1986. Just two years later, NHF worked with other archives and the Museum of Modern Art to fix up an old movie from 1921 called “The Seventh Day.”

In 1990, NHF began a project called “Going to the Movies: A Social History of Motion Pictures in Maine Communities.” This project was an exhibit with talks and movie showings. It was shown at The Maine Mall and Burlington Square Mall in 1996.

With help from their supporters, NHF bought the Alamo Theatre in downtown Bucksport in 1992. They fixed up this old movie theater, which was built in 1916. This brought community theater back to Bucksport, Maine. Soon after buying the building, NHF started showing 16mm films to the public. Today, the Alamo Theatre shows new movies every weekend. It also hosts special events, like showing old films using their original projectors. Each movie showing starts with an "Archival Moment," which is a short clip from NHF's collection.

In 2003, NHF opened a huge, climate-controlled building called the Conservation Center. It's about 27,000 square feet!

Membership and Services

NHF started offering memberships to the public in 1989. In 1991, they began a free video loan program for members. As of 2023, this program has over 450 historic videos that members can borrow.

The Conservation Center

In 2002, NHF started building its amazing $1.8 million Conservation Center. People sometimes call it “The Cube.” It was finished in 2003 and is located right behind the Alamo Theatre. This building has 27,000 square feet of space where the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. This is perfect for storing and protecting films.

The Conservation Center has three floors where the climate is controlled. Two floors are kept at 45 degrees Fahrenheit (about 7 degrees Celsius) and 25% humidity. The third floor is even colder! It's kept at 25 degrees Fahrenheit (about -4 degrees Celsius) and 30% humidity. This super-cold floor helps stop films from getting "vinegar syndrome," which is a problem that can make old films break down.

This special building helps follow the Library of Congress's plan for saving films. It's the only place in the region that can store films and videos at such a high level of protection. Besides the climate control, the Conservation Center has advanced air filters, a fire safety system that's good for the environment, and protection from floods. More than forty-five clients from all over North America send their films and videotapes to NHF to be kept safe.

Awards and Recognition

In 2003, NHF founders Karan Sheldon and David Weiss received the Constance H. Carlson Award from the Maine Humanities Council. This award recognized their excellent work in the humanities.

In 2013, the Association of Moving Image Archivists gave NHF the Silver Light Award. This award is for groups that have made big contributions to the field of moving image archives.

A book called Amateur Movie Making: Aesthetics of the every day in New England Films, 1915-1960 was named the "Best Edited Collection" in 2018 by the Society for Cinema and Media Studies. This book has essays about films from the collections at Northeast Historic Film.