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<DIV>Hello all,</DIV>
<DIV>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 <A href="http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/av/video/white_house/video_index.php">http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/av/video/white_house/video_index.php</A>.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>I'll be happy to try to provide additional information to any interested parties.</DIV>
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<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
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<DIV>Steve Greene<BR>Audiovisual Archivist<BR>Nixon Presidential Library and Museum<BR>(301) 837-1772</DIV>
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<DIV>>>> park@videopark.com 1/3/2009 1:01:41 PM >>><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="COLOR: #000000">Interesting that it seems there are many small collections around the <BR>country. The quote that there are "enormous libraries of quad <BR>videotape" is doubtful, IMHO. I'm sure it is an effort to find the <BR>funds to restore materials.<BR><BR>Perhaps there needs to be a central "clearing house" that would cherry <BR>pick the "best" material for restoration and save that. One large <BR>organization would be more efficient that many small, poorly funded <BR>collections.<BR><BR>Also, there needs to be a way to view this material. It does no one <BR>any good if the restored material is never allowed to be seen.<BR><BR>Did you mean a VR-1200? Also, I am sure you know that baking will <BR>make the sticky tapes playable.<BR><BR>Best,<BR>Park<BR><BR>C. Park Seward<BR>Visit us: <A href="http://www.videopark.com">http://www.videopark.com</A><BR><BR><BR><BR>On Jan 2, 2009, at 2:18 PM, Klara Foeller wrote:<BR><BR>> I have about 700 quad tapes in 3 television collections. I have <BR>> some identification on about 98% of them. I also have a working <BR>> VT1200, which I am using to master and capture this material. So <BR>> far it's been working well, I've come across some "sticky" tapes <BR>> which I will not put back on my machine, but plenty of the tapes <BR>> from the early 1970s are transferring nicely. I've done 30 titles <BR>> to date.<BR>><BR>> If anyone on this list is planning on attending the Midwest Archives <BR>> Conference in late April, I will be holding an open house featuring <BR>> my media lab and collections and you are all welcome to attend. I <BR>> think the event will be scheduled on the afternoon of April 29th.<BR>><BR>> Klara Foeller, Curator<BR>> Moving Image & Sound Collections<BR>> Missouri History Museum<BR>> St. Louis, MO<BR>> 314 746-4513<BR>><BR>> Don Norwood wrote:<BR>>><BR>>> The December issue of Broadcast Engineering has an article on page <BR>>> 90 about archiving. In the article, it refers to "enormous <BR>>> libraries of quad videotape will be unplayable in a few years" (due <BR>>> to lack of operating equipment).<BR>>><BR>>> Does anyone have any reliable info regarding how much quad material <BR>>> is still out there? My impression has been that most broadcast <BR>>> stations have already disposed of their quad tape. I wouldn't <BR>>> think there was much 1" left either.<BR>>><BR>>> If no data has been compiled, perhaps a publication such as BE <BR>>> could run a survey to help determine how much material is still on <BR>>> the shelves and what demand really exists for its archival.<BR>>><BR>>> Don<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Please trim posts to relevant info when replying!<BR>Send QuadList list posts to QuadList@quadvideotapegroup.com<BR>Your subscribe, unsubscribe and digest options are here:<BR><A href="http://mail.quadvideotapegroup.com/mailman/listinfo/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com">http://mail.quadvideotapegroup.com/mailman/listinfo/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com</A><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>