Salvaging Significant Celluloid
Storage shuffling
MMPT is launching a national project with the
anticipated support of all regional branches and their
members. It will further enhance AMMPT’s reputation of
playing an active role in preserving our nation’s heritage.
ne of the major problems facing all community
museums is general and our regional branches in
particular is that of critical lack of storage space to
accommodate increasing donations. With over seven years
of trying to find space in Perth, the Western region branch is
still juggling items between venues as some temporary
facilities become no longer available. Large and heavy
items which form a sizeable part of our collection and asset
inventory are both awkward and expensive to move between
locations, but often there is no alternative.
We are aware of large amounts of news and other film
material being stored in vaults of television networks and
production houses which is in real danger of being lost
forever as the industry continues its relentless march towards
newer technology. There is much material still hidden in this
mountain or archival footage that will be of interest to both
state and national museums, archives and libraries. With staff
downsizing on all the networks and many of those remaining
not having any experience in dealing with film, this stockpile
of our history is in danger of being discarded by the bean-
counters in their quest for corporate efficiency.
In October it became necessary to move the display cabinets
previously donated by the WA Museum which had been
stored by member Liz Kirkham in Fremantle. Finding an
alternative site for these bulky items was becoming critical,
until Channel Nine Perth general manager Paul Bowen and
WIN TV offered the use of space in a transportable they had
vacant on the station site.
We intend to offer the services of our volunteer members to
these organisations to view this material and identify that
considered of local or national historical significance and
worthy of preservation. It is essential this work needs to be
done in the regions where the footage originated. Local
volunteers , especially those who have had a media news
background would have a much better chance of identifying
the material than if it was shipped off to distant locations for
scrutiny. The Western region branch has retired television
news editors amongst the membership and expect to recruit
other local journo’s and historians as members prepared to
assist in the project.
It is not our intention to create a repository or library for this
archival material as we have neither the expertise, facilities
nor budget to professionally preserve it – this is the province
and responsibility of the State and National archives. By
building on our existing collaborative relationships with
these entities, we have the local knowledge and membership
base to materially assist them locate and preserve news and
other films of historical significance which can be placed in
their care. The project is already attracting volunteers from
the public who although not connected to our media industry,
have a passion for assisting in the preservation of historical
material.
L-R: Keith Rutherford, Trevor Kelly and Graeme Lacey assist the two
younger moving van crew in safety jackets move the WA Museum donated
display cabinets into a vacant Channel Nine transportable building.
Also we had to take delivery of the robotic studio camera
pedestals which had been donated by, and were being held
for us at the ABC – very heavy items requiring the help of a
couple of much younger men and their moving van.
The crew relax
after shifting the
very heavy ABC
TV robotic studio
camera pedestals
and the display
cabinets to their
new storage site.
L-R Trevor Kelly,
Brian Lyons,
Graeme Lacey and
Daryl Binning.
AMMPT will be supplying the viewing equipment to the
teams allocated to the project. If not already in their
collection, it is anticipated the Eastern and Southern region
will soon be having donations of this sort of gear they can
use on the project.
It is intended to issue a national media release to all the main
newspapers and other media. It is hoped this will alert
television stations and others who may have piles of
newsfilm gathering dust to their residual historical value and
will contact AMMPT to become involved in the project. We
also intend to collaborate with a university initiated Media
Archive Project to identify possible sources of this material.
Western region programme
Following the Western Region’s past President’s decision to
step down and allow other members to take the reigns at the
2011 AGM in October, a new committee led by recently
appointed President Ron Frank will be arranging future
activities for local members. These will appear in the next
edition of
Newsreel
or posted on our website when the
committee meets to confirm these arrangements.
Regional President’s have been requested to nominate
committee contacts delegated to coordinate local teams and
activity as the project gathers pace. The Western region
branch has appointed its film librarian as its local team
coordinator. The challenge is to recruit new volunteer
members who would like to devote some time to identify and
salvage significant celluloid before it is consigned to
oblivion.
In the meantime, our 2012 programme of
Classics of the
Silver Screen
has already been decided, details of which
appear elsewhere in this edition. Please support these fund
raising initiatives.
The clock is ticking!
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