[QuadList] Quad Libraries

[Steve Greene]

Hello all,
The Presidential Library system at the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) probably has one of the larger untransferred
collections of quad videotape left in the U.S.  We estimate the total
number to be about 8,000 hours, of which perhaps a third have been
transferred.  One of the core collections at the Libraries from the quad
era (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter) is the White
House Communications Agency (WHCA) videotape collection.  The WHCA
collection consists of news and public affairs programming of interest
to each Presidential Administration and began under Johnson, recording
onto one inch "Type A".  Under Nixon, the program started recording on
two-inch and by 1970, began recording hundreds of hours a year of edited
"Weekly News Summary" compilations, rivalling Vanderbilt for
completeness.  Almost half of that 8,000 hour figure are from the Nixon
Administration.  All of the completed transfers at the Library I work
for, the Richard Nixon Library and Museum, are available for research at
the National Archives at College Park.  The finding aids for our WHCA
collection are available at
http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/av/video/white_house/video_index.php.
 
In addition to the WHCA materials, there is also a wealth of production
materials on two-inch from each Presidential election cycle, although
1968, 1972 and 1976 probably comprise the greatest part of these.
 
The Presidential Libraries have a preservation contract in place and
are working to transfer this material on a regular basis.  NARA's
funding support has been generous and constant.  Despite a wealth of
important competeing preservation projects, it has been at a level that
permits us to make steady progress, usually at least two hundred hours
per year.  Because of the size of the collection(s) involved, even that
generous funding has meant slow progress.  The project has been in place
since 2003.

I'll be happy to try to provide additional information to any
interested parties.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Steve Greene
Audiovisual Archivist
Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
(301) 837-1772
 
>>> park at videopark.com 1/3/2009 1:01:41 PM >>>

Interesting that it seems there are many small collections around the 

country. The quote that there are "enormous libraries of quad  
videotape" is doubtful, IMHO.  I'm sure it is an effort to find the  
funds to restore materials.

Perhaps there needs to be a central "clearing house" that would cherry 

pick the "best" material for restoration and save that. One large  
organization would be more efficient that many small, poorly funded  
collections.

Also, there needs to be a way to view this material. It does no one  
any good if the restored material is never allowed to be seen.

Did you mean a VR-1200?  Also, I am sure you know that baking will  
make the sticky tapes playable.

Best,
Park

C. Park Seward
Visit us: http://www.videopark.com



On Jan 2, 2009, at 2:18 PM, Klara Foeller wrote:

> I have about 700 quad tapes in 3 television collections.  I have  
> some identification on about 98% of them.  I also have a working  
> VT1200, which I am using to master and capture this material.  So  
> far it's been working well, I've come across some "sticky" tapes  
> which I will not put back on my machine, but plenty of the tapes  
> from the early 1970s are transferring nicely.  I've done 30 titles  
> to date.
>
> If anyone on this list is planning on attending the Midwest Archives 

> Conference in late April, I will be holding an open house featuring 

> my media lab and collections and you are all welcome to attend.  I  
> think the event will be scheduled on the afternoon of April 29th.
>
> Klara Foeller, Curator
> Moving Image & Sound Collections
> Missouri History Museum
> St. Louis, MO
> 314 746-4513
>
> Don Norwood wrote:
>>
>> The December issue of Broadcast Engineering has an article on page 

>> 90 about archiving.  In the article, it refers to "enormous  
>> libraries of quad videotape will be unplayable in a few years" (due 

>> to lack of operating equipment).
>>
>> Does anyone have any reliable info regarding how much quad material 

>> is still out there?  My impression has been that most broadcast  
>> stations have already disposed of their quad tape.  I wouldn't  
>> think there was much 1" left either.
>>
>> If no data has been compiled, perhaps a publication such as BE  
>> could run a survey to help determine how much material is still on 

>> the shelves and what demand really exists for its archival.
>>
>> Don

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