Information Layout

As we delve into the different RGs and Series that contain motion pictures in the NARA, I will try to provide you with the following information...

- The official RG title followed by its corresponding RG number.
- The content date of the films (representing the time period of the film’s subject and not necessarily the dates they were created).
- The approximate number of reels of film within the RG.
- The official Series Title and the number of film titles within the series.
- Representative examples (arranged chronologically) of individual film titles within the Series, along with a short description and the year of release. Please note that the originating agency, the contracted production company, or the NARA staff, created these titles. The actual number of listed titles varies, but generally ten percent (up to a maximum of ten titles per series) are listed. The accompanying film descriptions are mostly summary in nature, sometimes a bit cryptic, and were derived from one or more sources. Occasionally, you’ll see the notation NFDA and n.d. These are abbreviations for “No Further Data Available” and “no date,” and are used whenever a description or production date couldn’t be determined.

'Till next time.
Phil
www.pwstewart.com

What is a NARA record group?

Now, this may be a bit boring, but it's important when trying to figure out where films are located within America's film vault...the NARA.

A record group (RG), the basic unit of archival control, is a body of organizationally related records designated by a number and the name of the federal agency, bureau, or activity that created or received them. For example, the Records of the United States Secret Service is numbered RG 87, the Records of the Maritime Administration are contained in RG 357, and Records of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington are within RG 551. Based on my last count, there are over 500 RGs (some numbers were skipped) within the NARA that contain historic documents like papers, reports, maps, photographs, illustrations, sound recordings, and sometimes motion pictures. These RGs are usually divided into a number of Series, depending on the type of documents or the topic. One RG I found had 85 different series! Sometimes one of these contain films.

Now this is a very simplistic explanation...but hopefully it gives you enough information to follow this discussion in future blogs.

Phil
www.pwstewart.com

Types of Films in the NARA

To continue the train of thought of the last post, the motion pictures in the NARA are predominately documentary type films; but educational, informational, instructional, theatrical and newsreel categories make up portions of the collection too. The film titles in the holdings number well into the tens-of-thousands, covering hundreds of subjects.

Most of the films held in the National Archives were made, acquired, or donated to Uncle Sam without restrictions. Therefore, they are copyright and royalty free. However, there are a fair number of films that do have copyright or use restrictions, particularly within the Donated Materials Group (DMG) collections. It is in your best interest to check with the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Research Room staff with any questions on this issue.

Until next time,
Phil
http://www.pwstewart.com