Tweet MOSTLY LOST 2013

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is sponsoring “Mostly Lost: Silent Film Archaeology II,” the second in an ongoing series of Film Identification Workshops, on June 6-8, 2013 in Culpeper, Va. In keeping with the successful inaugural workshop in 2012, “Mostly Lost” will feature screenings of unidentified, under-identified or misidentified silent and early sound films. The new workshop will also include extra events, including an early bird tour of the state-of-the-art Packard Campus and a class on how to do basic film identification—Film ID 101. Other activities will be announced in coming months.

Ninety-five reels were screened at the first workshop and 38 of those—40 percent—were identified during the event. Through further research conducted after the workshop, attendees were able to identify eight additional titles, bringing the success rate up to 48 percent. The efforts by the AMIA Nitrate Committee FlickR website (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nfig/" target="_blank) increased the percentage of identified titles to 55 percent with an additional six confirmed. A complete list of the identified titles will be posted in the near future.

Early film experts and archivists are encouraged to attend, but the workshop is also open to those who are interested in actively participating in researching the films showcased at the workshop.

In addition to films from the Library of Congress’ collections, “Mostly Lost” will again feature material from other film archives around the world. Live musical accompaniment during the workshop and evening presentations of newly preserved silent films will also be featured.

Detailed information, including registration instructions, will be forthcoming.
For more information contact Rob Stone (rsto@loc.gov" target="_blank) or Rachel Parker (rapa@loc.gov" target="_blank).

I'm there.

Me too, neither!

Bor Enots,

This is great that 40% of the reels were identified, but can you give us some details? Also an update on RAMONA?

[Christopher Jacobs]

Bor Enots,

This is great that 40% of the reels were identified, but can you give us some details? Also an update on RAMONA?

Um... I'm confused. Did your internet provider cut off the rest of Rob's post?

Through further research conducted after the workshop, attendees were able to identify eight additional titles, bringing the success rate up to 48 percent. The efforts by the AMIA Nitrate Committee FlickR website (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nfig/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank) increased the percentage of identified titles to 55 percent with an additional six confirmed. A complete list of the identified titles will be posted in the near future.

Early film experts and archivists are encouraged to attend, but the workshop is also open to those who are interested in actively participating in researching the films showcased at the workshop.

In addition to films from the Library of Congress’ collections, “Mostly Lost” will again feature material from other film archives around the world. Live musical accompaniment during the workshop and evening presentations of newly preserved silent films will also be featured.

Detailed information, including registration instructions, will be forthcoming.
For more information contact Rob Stone (rsto@loc.gov" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank) or Rachel Parker (rapa@loc.gov" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank).

And how does RAMONA fit into this? Are you referring to the 1910, 1916, 1928, or 1936 version? Is that one of the films shown at this year's unknown film identification event? It doesn't seem too unknown to me?

C J,

No , I was not able to read the second part of the post. Thanks much. Are any of these near complete films are just fragments of a bunch of different pictures?

I'm talking about the long lost RAMONA (United Artists, 1928) with Dolores Del Rio and Warner Baxter that is being restored by the Library of Congress. We first heard that it was in the lab roughly around last Thanksgiving. So nearly a year ago. Repatriated from the Czech Archive at Prague. All indications were back in April or so, that most of the work had already been completed by that time. I also would like to know where UCLA is at on BEAU GESTE (1926).

The intertitles for RAMONA have been translated back to English and we are in the process of adding the new titles into the otherwise completed preservation work.

Rob

[silentfilm]

Are there some cheap but acceptable hotels near the Library of Congress in Culpeper?

Most people stay at MICROTEL who give us the year-round government rate of $70/night for any of our visitors. But Best Western and Holiday Inn Express are also nice. There is a Comfort Inn but I don't recall knowing anyone that has stayed there. The Rodeway Inn would be far from my first choice, and there is a Red Carpet Inn that is a little off the beaten path and cheap but don't know anyone that reccomends it.

I've stayed at both the Rodeway and the Red Carpet in order to save a coupla bucks. You still don't know anyone who would recommend them.

The intertitles for RAMONA have been translated back to English and we are in the process of adding the new titles into the otherwise completed preservation work.

Rob

Rob,

Thanks for keeping us posted about the progress on RAMONA. Any other major projects in the works that we have not heard about yet? What's happening with some of the stuff that was repatriated from Russia and New Zealand?

The New Zealand material is getting preserved, some at LC and some at outside labs, and some of that will be available soon. Some is already on the NFPF website and will likely show up in one of their box sets.

Don't hold your breathe on the Russian stuff, more P.R. than reality. The digital files we have received so far (no actual film) are of incomplete features or fragments. We are not allowed any usage beyond allowing researchers to view at our facility.

I will post a list of what has come out of the lab recently in a few days. Won't say what is in the lab currently since folks always seem to want the title you are working on more than the title you just finished!

Rob

Rob,

Very curious about the Russian films. You have received some digital work that shows just fragments or pieces? I thought the story of the Russian films being restored was exciting (although a little disheartening to note that their destination is a film studio with financial issues and preservation may not be at the top of the list). But from what you wrote there may not be much to restore in terms of good complete film finds?

Thanks,
Matthew

I was speaking of different Russian stuff than the recent story about material going BACK to Russia. We got stuff fROM Russia.

Rob,

Huh? I'm confused. That's what I had reference to. The films repatriated from Russia last year around Thanksgiving. You mean most of those turned out to be fragments, or incomplete? Or is it a different batch that you speak of?

Yes those were not really worth getting.

Rob,

Huh? I'm confused. That's what I had reference to. The films repatriated from Russia last year around Thanksgiving. You mean most of those turned out to be fragments, or incomplete? Or is it a different batch that you speak of?

So there WAS a second batch in 2011, different from the 2010 batch with the Wallace Reid films etc. (if so, what were some of the names of the pieces, fragments etc.?)


And your lobby card concerning RAMONA, has "Inspiration" as the producer, which mean Richard Barthelmess financed the picture, no?

Sepiatone,

Huh? Richard Bathelmess distributed his films though First National, not United Artists. I don't think he had anything to do with producing RAMONA? Would be surprised.

No, I fear that Rob is talking about the 2010 stuff from Gosfilmofond. Hope that I am wrong. I was under the impression that material was in pretty good shape at the time. There are still allot of rare films in that Czech archive at Prague. But there are major problems with getting those titles back to America from what I understand.

For an archive like the one in the Czech Republic to release titles to another archive for preservation, are issues related to compensation to be paid to the archive, or are they requiring a commitment from whomever wants them to restore the films within so much time?

Thanks,
Matthew