Texas Archive of the Moving Image
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is a special non-profit group. It was started in 2002 by Caroline Frick, a professor and film expert. TAMI's main goal is to save, study, and show films and videos from Texas. They have three big projects: the TAMI Online Collection, the Texas Film Round-Up, and Teach Texas. Their offices are in Austin, Texas.
Contents
TAMI Online Collection
The TAMI website is like a huge online video library. It has many films and videos related to Texas. You can find old home movies, films made by businesses, local TV shows, and even "orphan films." Orphan films are movies that don't have a clear owner or are forgotten.
The TAMI website started in 2008. Some of the oldest films in the collection are about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. These films were made by Edison Studios.
Exploring Texas History Through Film
The TAMI website also has special online exhibits. These exhibits group films together by topic. For example, you can find films about President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family. There are also collections showing life in Texas during the 1930s and 1940s. Another exhibit explores Texas during the Vietnam War era.
TAMI also has unique videos from Texas TV stations from the late 1900s. You can even watch different versions of a famous film called "The Kidnappers Foil" on their site. This film was added to the National Film Registry in 2012. TAMI also runs another website about "The Kidnappers Foil" and its filmmaker, Melton Barker.
Online Exhibitions to Watch
TAMI creates special online shows using their films. These shows help you learn about different parts of Texas history.
- "When Texas Saw Red" is about the time after World War II and the Cold War in Texas.
- "Starring the Lone Star State" looks at how movies have been made in Texas over time.
- "A Journey to the Moon through Texas" shows how Texas was involved in the Apollo space program. This exhibit has won awards.
- "La Frontera Fluida" explores the Texas-Mexico border region.
Texas Film Round-Up
The Texas Film Round-Up is a program that helps save old Texas films and videos. TAMI works with the Office of the Governor’s Texas Film Commission on this project.
How the Round-Up Works
Through the Round-Up, people can get their Texas-related films and videos turned into digital copies for free. In return, they donate a digital copy to TAMI's video library. This helps TAMI grow its collection.
The Film Round-Up also holds events. They often show films and have educational displays about Texas media history. Since it started in 2008, the Round-Up has visited many Texas cities. These include Fort Worth, Galveston, San Angelo, Amarillo, Beaumont, the Rio Grande Valley, Tyler, Lubbock, Dallas, Abilene, Longview, El Paso, Houston, and Austin.
Teach Texas
Teach Texas is a helpful program for teachers. It gives them lesson plans and other materials. Teachers can use films from the TAMI Video Library in their classrooms, from kindergarten to 12th grade. The materials in Teach Texas match the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. These are the learning goals for students in Texas.
Awards and Recognition
The Texas Film Round-Up has received special awards. In 2010, it won two awards from the American Association for State and Local History. These were the Leadership in History Award of Merit and the WOW Award.
