Media History Digital Library

A subforum to discuss film culture and criticism both old and new, as well as memorializing public figures we've lost.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Media History Digital Library

#1 Post by domino harvey » Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:36 am

As spotted on TCM's blog, David Pierce's Media History Digital Library Project is in the process of scanning over 300,000 pages of journal material (up to 1964), including Photoplay and Motion Picture World. You can read those his team has gotten to so far here and below is a list of what they'll be tackling:
MHDL Brochure wrote:Industry Magazines - Billboard, Box Office, Cine-Mundial, Daily Variety, Exhibiters Herald, Exhibitor’s Trade Review, The Film Daily, The Film Index, The Hollywood Reporter, Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture Herald, Motion Picture News, Motography, The Moving Picture World, Radio Broadcast, Radio Daily, Talking Machine World, Variety

Company Magazines - The Lion’s Roar, Publix Opinion, RCA News, Radio Flash, Reel Life, Universal Weekly

Fan Magazines - Motion Picture Classic, Motion Picture Magazine, Motion Picture Digest, Radio Mirror, Screenland, Shadowplay

Technical Journals - American Cinematographer, American Projectionist, The International Photographer, International Projectionist, Motion Picture Projectionist, Projection Engineering, Radio Engineering, Sound Waves, Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers
This is a ridiculously fruitful venture that will open up historically-based film criticism to those who previously lacked the time or means of acquiring many of these old titles. Anyone who has ever lugged out huge bound volumes of these old back issues procured from ILL or, worse, sat for eight plus hours in front of the microfilm machine is probably feeling a stronger level of excitement over this than most!

User avatar
Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: Media History Digital Library

#2 Post by Matt » Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:25 pm

The MHDL just launched a new search interface and it's great (but the site's a little overwhelmed right now by all the librarians and professors trying it out).

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Media History Digital Library

#3 Post by domino harvey » Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:58 pm

This is without exaggeration one of the most monumental endeavors of film history preservation yet attempted. A cursory search turned up hundreds of great hits for a project I'm on working on, this is overwhelming in the best way possible

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Media History Digital Library

#4 Post by knives » Mon Aug 12, 2013 3:03 pm

Ditto, this is going to be such a major aid.

Post Reply