Scope and Contents
Biographical / Historical
Conditions Governing Access
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Preferred Citation
Processing Information
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Kemp Niver collection
Creator:
Niver, Kemp R.
Identifier/Call Number: 2324
Physical Description:
9 Linear Feet
8 boxes
Date (bulk): 1950s-1970s
Abstract: This collection consists of binders of photographs, notes, clippings, and patents related to the films that were restored
by American cinematographer and film historian Kemp Niver (1912-1996).
Language of Material:
English.
Container: 1
Container: 2
Container: 3
Container: 4
Container: 5
Container: 6
Container: 7
Container: 8
Scope and Contents
This collection contains binders of photographs, notes, clippings, and patents related to the films that were restored by
American cinematographer and film historian Kemp Niver (1912-1996). Niver was hired by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences to convert frame-by-frame paper photographs of 3,600 movies made between 1894 and 1912 back into film.
Biographical / Historical
Kemp Niver (1912-1996) was an American cinematographer and film historian. He restored the world's earliest motion pictures.
Niver was hired by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to turn frame-by-frame paper photographs of 3,600 movies
made between 1894 and 1912 back into film. He created his own machine and process and over 15 years restored these films.
He was given a special Oscar for this.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library
at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Kemp Niver, circa 1989.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Kemp Niver collection, Collection no. 2324, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California.
Processing Information
This collection is unprocessed
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Cinematographers -- Archival resources
Film stills
Patents -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Archival resources
Patents -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Silent films -- United States -- Archival resources
photographic film (photographic materials)
Preservation and restoration -- Archival resources
Niver, Kemp R. -- Archives