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Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, AMIPA's Kevin Tripp completed the first stage in a preservation project involving some historic Alaskan 35mm motion picture film, dating from the 1920s through the 1940s. This film was produced by Richard "Judge" Suratt (d. 1950), who had been a resident of Wrangell, AK. While we are still researching the details of Suratt's life, it seems that he worked as a freelance cinematographer, producing footage to be used in newsreels of the period--and that from 1934 on he served as U.S. Commissioner in Wrangell.

A small portion of this film had been transferred to DVD earlier this year, which allowed Tripp to get a better idea of what the collection contains. Apparent subjects identified in the transferred film include: very early footage of Anchorage (probably the late 1920s); Federal officials on some sort of a VIP tour of the Territory, including Herbert Hoover (Hoover served as Secretary of Commerce under Warren G. Harding, so it's possible this collection may include footage of Harding's visit to Alaska in 1923); the 1927 Detroit Arctic Expedition; the 1929 U.S. Navy Alaska Aerial Survey Expedition; a German warship visiting ports in SE Alaska during the late 1920s or early 1930s, including images of sailors on shore leave hiking out to a glacier; the Matanuska Colonization Project (probably from the summer of 1935, since much of this footage is of various construction projects); as well as footage of the Alaska Railroad, fish processing, dog mushing, and more.

A complicating factor in this project has been the fact that all of this film appears to be cellulose nitrate based. Cellulose nitrate, briefly, is a plastic that was used as the base in most pre-1951 35mm motion picture film. It is highly flammable, and nearly impossible to extinguish once ignited (it generates its own oxygen as it burns--so the flame is very difficult to smother). It also produces noxious gases (e.g., nitrogen dioxide) when it burns--more so when it smolders, rather than when it burns quick and hot. It was responsible for numerous movie theater fires during the first few decades of the motion picture era (when carbon arc-lamp projectors were also standard), and for not a few serious incidents since that time. Not surprisingly, it is now classified by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as a hazardous material, and is therefore subject to the relevant (and, understandably, restrictive) regulations when moving it from place to place. The long-term storage and preservation of cellulose nitrate film raises some unique issues, as well. Ideally, it should be stored in a vault specifically designed for, and dedicated to, the storage of nitrate--a vault of a type that is rare in the Lower 48, and nonexistent in Alaska. Film archivists with the appropriate training and technical resources are obviously important, as well.

Fortunately, AMIPA was able to address these needs--as well as most of the DOT-mandated shipping requirements--through the invaluable support of our colleagues at the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) in Culpeper, VA. The remaining DOT requirements--generally having to do with the packing and marking of the film, and completion of the appropriate paperwork--was handled by Tripp, who maintains the required credentials through training offered by Argus Pacific, in Seattle.

We are happy to report that this film was packaged up the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and delivered safely to the NAVCC on Tuesday, December 2. The next phase of the project will involve finding funding to undertake the transfer of this film to new media, including any restoration work that might be required.

The first phase of this project has been made possible by generous support from the Atwood Foundation.

The 8th annual Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF), an AMIPA program, is rapidly approaching. The dates for the festival are December 5-14, 2008. Festival passes are now on sale at the AMIPA offices in the UAA/APU Consortium Library and the Bear Tooth Theatrepub. ALL-FILMS passes are $60, ALL-FILMS AND EVENTS passes are $85 (includes admission to all special events and workshops). During the festival, passes will also be on sale at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center and the Regal Fireweed.

A PDF of this year's AIFF program is available here.

For complete, up-to-date information on the AIFF, please go to: www.anchoragefilmfestival.org.

Several weeks ago AMIPA set up a nonprofit channel on YouTube, the wildly popular video upload site. Since the general election was rapidly approaching, we decided to start by posting several Alaskan political spots from the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, as well as some of Bethel's KYUK-TV election night coverage from 1982, featuring Carol Schatz and Corey Flintoff (Schatz is now the General Manager and Program Director for KYES-TV in Anchorage; Flintoff is now a correspondent for NPR). To visit AMIPA's YouTube channel, go to: www.youtube.com/alaskamovingimage.

Alaska's incomparable Mr. Whitekeys generously hosted a fundraiser to benefit AMIPA, in the Alaska Wildberry Theater. The occasion was the world premier of his latest project, a DVD entitled, "Alaska--The First 10,000 Years," featuring some historic footage from AMIPA's vaults. Copies of the DVD are available through Alaska Video Postcards. Thanks, Mr. Whitekeys!

AMIPA's Greg Schmitz attended the annual meeting of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) in Savannah, Georgia. While there he attended a full-day course in film technology, and chaired the annual meeting of the Regional Audio-Visual Archives (RAVA) Interest Group. Greg's attendance at this event was made possible by generous support from the Rasmuson Foundation.

AMIPA board member and volunteer Christine Gill hosted the first gathering of the Sleuth Squad for the 2008-2009 season. The Sleuth Squad is an informal group of long-term residents of Southcentral Alaska that get together once a month, during the winter, to look at historic films--usually amateur films or "home movies"--that were shot in this area. They take notes on people, places, or events they recognize--notes that are later typed up by Christine, and added to the research file for that film collection.

At this meeting the group looked at some 8mm film that was shot by Gustav V. Johnson. Since there was more film than they could get through during one meeting, they'll look at some more of the collection next month, when they meet on November 21.

Note that the group always meets on a Friday, when parking on the UAA campus is free. If you, or someone you know, is interested in participating with the Sleuth Squad, please contact us at: 786-4980.

AMIPA's Kevin Tripp attended the biannual meeting of the Alaska State Historical Records Advisory Board (ASHRAB), which was held in Anchorage immediately prior to the Alaska Historical Society's annual meeting.