Rare color Carver footage among 2019 additions to National Film Registry

December 19, 2019

Contacts:
Sheryl Cannady, Library of Congress Office of Communications
Michael Tullier, APR, 快活视频 Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing

Twelve minutes of 16mm color footage featuring famed 快活视频 botanist and inventor George Washington Carver joins Prince鈥檚 autobiographical 1984 鈥淧urple Rain,鈥� Spike Lee鈥檚 breakout 1986 movie 鈥淪he鈥檚 Gotta Have It,鈥� and Disney鈥檚 1959 鈥淪leeping Beauty鈥� as part of this year鈥檚 annual selection of 25 of America鈥檚 most influential motion picture additions to the Library of Congress鈥� National Film Registry.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the slate of films for their cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation鈥檚 film heritage. 

鈥淭he National Film Registry has become an important record of American history, culture and creativity,鈥� she said. 鈥淯nlike many other honors, the registry is not restricted to a time, place or genre. It encompasses 130 years of the full American cinematic experience 鈥� a virtual Olympiad of motion pictures. With the support of Congress, the studios and other archives, we are ensuring that the nation鈥檚 cinematic history will be around for generations to come.鈥�

In 1937, Allen Alexander, an African American surgeon from Michigan, convinced Carver to allow him to record the 16mm color footage. Alexander wisely shot the film using gloriously resilient Kodachrome, ensuring the colors remain stunningly vibrant and rich. The 12 minutes of fascinating amateur footage include scenes of Carver in his apartment, office and laboratory, as well as images of him tending flowers and displaying his paintings.

Also included is footage of a Tuskegee Institute football game and the school鈥檚 marching band and majorettes. The National Archives has digitized the film as part of its multi-year effort to preserve and make available the historically significant film collections of the National Park Service.

The 2019 registry selections span a century of filmmaking 鈥� from 1903 to 2003. Titles include, in alphabetical order 鈥淎madeus鈥� (1984); 鈥淏ecky Sharp鈥� (1935); 鈥淏efore Stonewall鈥� (1984); 鈥淏ody and Soul鈥� (1925); 鈥淏oys Don鈥檛 Cry鈥� (1999); 鈥淐lerks鈥� (1994); 鈥淐oal Miner鈥檚 Daughter鈥� (1980); 鈥淓migrants Landing at Ellis Island鈥� (1903); 鈥淓mployees Entrance鈥� (1933); 鈥淔og of War鈥� (2003); 鈥淕aslight鈥� (1944); 鈥淕eorge Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute鈥� (1937); 鈥淕irlfriends鈥� (1978); 鈥淚 Am Somebody鈥� (1970); 鈥淭he Last Waltz鈥� (1978); 鈥淢y Name Is Oona鈥� (1969); 鈥淎 New Leaf鈥� (1971); 鈥淥ld Yeller鈥� (1957); 鈥淭he Phenix City Story鈥� (1955); 鈥淧latoon鈥� (1986) 鈥淧urple Rain鈥� (1984); 鈥淩eal Women Have Curves鈥� (2002); 鈥淪he鈥檚 Gotta Have It鈥� (1986); 鈥淪leeping Beauty鈥� (1959); and 鈥淶oot Suit鈥� (1981).

The 2019 selections bring the number of films in the registry to 775, which is a small fraction of the library鈥檚 vast moving-image collection of more than 1.6 million items.

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are 鈥渃ulturally, historically or aesthetically鈥� significant. The films must be at least 10 years old. 

The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after conferring with the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and a cadre of library specialists. Also considered were more than 6,000 titles nominated by the public. More information about the National Film Registry can be found at .

The Library of Congress is the world鈥檚 largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States 鈥� and extensive materials from around the world 鈥� both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at ; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at .

漏 2019, 快活视频