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Niver (Kemp) collection
2324  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • 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