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Film Recordings

 Series
Identifier: M078.7

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Series Description

Includes 16mm and 35 mm silent film, mostly black and white (color occasionally spliced in). Reels of film include footage of the (now extinct) Heath Hen on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, circa 1932; Bowdoin College's Scientific Station (Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada), 1936-; and expeditions to the Labrador region of Canada to study birdlife, including a 1931 research trip by Alfred Gross, his son William Gross, and Thornton Burgess to study bird colonies in the coastal regions of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland, and southern Labrador ("The Birds of Grenfelland"), and film of the 1934 MacMillan Arctic expedition where Gross was the expedition ornithologist. The films show Gross, his colleagues, and students observing and recording birdlife, and also document aspects of expedition life. Some of the films are documented with intertitles and were used by Gross during his illustrated lectures.

Dates

  • Creation: 1883 - 1970

Creator

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Extent

From the Collection: 45 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Existence and Location of Copies

Three 16 mm film reels of the Bowdoin College Scientific Station on Kent Island (New Brunswick, Canada) and five 35 mm film reels: "The Heath Hen" (1 reel) and Birds of Grenfelland" (4 reels) have been digitized and are available online.

Existence and Location of Copies

Original 35 mm film reels of the "Heath Hen" and "Birds of Grenfelland" preserved, digitized and duplicated to create the following surrogates: 35 mm polyester negatives and silent answer prints, HD digital files, and DVDs. Work funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation and completed by Colorlab, Rockville, MD.

Sponsor

Preservation, digitization, and duplication of five 35 mm film reels: "The Heath Hen" (1 reel) and "Birds of Grenfelland" (4 reels) generously funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation, 2017.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.