May 30, 2013 Library's Packard Campus Presents "Mostly Lost"

Silent Film Archaeology II: A Film-Identification Workshop

Press Contact: Sheryl Cannady (202) 707-6456
Public Contact: Rachel Parker, (202) 707-0934
Contact: Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is offering a unique opportunity for moviegoers: encouraging them to talk during the showing of several films in its state-of-the-art theater in Culpeper, Va. The Packard Campus is inviting people to attend a free workshop, “Mostly Lost,” to screen and identify silent and early sound films that have been unidentified, under-identified or misidentified, Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 8.

The second in an ongoing series, the workshop will bring together archivists, scholars and silent-film buffs. It will utilize the accumulated knowledge of the participants to obtain as much information as possible about the unknown or little-known films. Attendees are encouraged to call out names of actors, locations, car models, production companies or anything else they recognize about each film during the screenings.

All genres of films will be shown, ranging from Tom Mix westerns and a Bobby Ray comedy to an Andy Gump animation and actuality film of a chess match outside a cathedral. Ben Model, Andrew Simpson, and Philip Carli will provide live musical accompaniment during the workshop and evening presentations of newly preserved silent films.

The workshop will feature unidentified films from the Library’s collections as well as from other archives, including the George Eastman House, Museum of Modern Art, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and EYE Film Instituut Nederland in Amsterdam.

Ninety-five reels of film were screened at the first workshop. Of those, 38 films—40 percent—were identified during the event. Through further research conducted after the workshop, participants were able to identify eight additional titles. In addition, another seven titles were discovered through the Association of Moving Image Archivists Nitrate Committee’s Flickr page External.

Daytime events are open to registered workshop participants. For more information, email rapa@loc.gov and rsto@loc.gov.

The regular evening screenings on June 6 and 7 are free and open to the general public, but reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (540) 827-1079 ext. 79994 or (202) 707-9994 during the weekday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are limited to four per call. To request additional tickets or for other concerns, please leave phone or email contact information for appropriate follow-up. Reservations will be held until 10 minutes before showtime. In case of inclement weather, call the theater reservation line no more than three hours before showtime to verify status. For further information on the theater and film schedule, visit www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is a state-of-the-art facility funded as a gift to the nation by the Packard Humanities Institute. The Packard Campus is the site where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of motion pictures, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (www.loc.gov/avconservation/). The Packard Campus is home to nearly 7 million collection items. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

Workshop Schedule

Thursday, June 6

9 a.m. Tour of the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation

3 p.m. Class on how to identify film, “Film I.D. 101”

7:30 p.m. Silent film screenings with live accompaniment showcasing films from the Packard Campus archives and collections that are either newly preserved or obscure. The event is free and open to the public.

Friday, June 7

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Screening unidentified films from archives around the world

Following the lunch break: a short talk by Ben Model, titled "Undercranking: the Magic Behind the Slapstick”

7:30 p.m. Screening includes the premiere of the Library’s newly preserved silent film, “The Family Secret,” starring Baby Peggy. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, June 8

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Screening unidentified films from archives around the world

Following the lunch break: Ron Magliozzi introduces a screening of unedited takes from an unfinished, untitled 1917 Biograph feature, starring Bert Williams with an all-African-American cast.

7:30 p.m. Joint program between the Library and the newly restored State Theater (www.culpepertheatre.org External), featuring Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.” The screening will be held in downtown Culpeper, Va., at the State Theater. This event, for which tickets must be purchased at the State Theater, is open to the public.

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PR 13-106
2013-05-30
ISSN 0731-3527