Film & Media Archive

Film & Media Archive
The Film & Media Archive is a nationally recognized center for scholarship, teaching, and learning. The Archive is committed to the preservation of documentary film and other media which chronicles America’s great political and social movements with a particular emphasis on the African-American experience.
The Film & Media Archive at Washington University in St. Louis opened its doors to the public in September 2002 with the acquisition of the Henry Hampton Collection. Unique among cultural institutions that collect moving image and sound media, Washington University Libraries’ Film & Media Archive is comprised not only of completed works in film and video but also of the numerous materials that went into the creation of works related to Civil Rights, African-American life, the history of Harlem, social justice, democracy, and the arts.
The collections contain primary source material including original filmed interviews and outtakes, rare stock footage, photographs, producers’ research and notes, treatments, scripts, storyboards, and correspondence, all of which provide a distinctive look at the filmmaking and storytelling process for scholars, teachers, filmmakers, and students. Since 2002, the Archive has acquired several other important collections and now holds more than 6,500,000 feet of film, 1,300 linear feet of manuscripts, approximately 20,000 videotapes, over 10,000 audiotapes, and reels, and a significant library of books, CDs, and DVDs. For more information, contact the Curator of the Film & Media Archive Andy Uhrich.
Search the Film & Media Archive Collections on Mavis Web
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Collection The Maid of McMillan Student Film, 1916
The Maid of McMillan is a silent film written and produced by Washington University in St. Louis students in the...View Collection about The Maid of McMillan Student Film, 1916 -
Collection Kartemquin Films Collection
The award-winning nonprofit production company Kartemquin Films donated the physical materials in its archives to Washington University Libraries’ Film & Media Archive.View Collection about Kartemquin Films Collection -
Collection Henry Hampton Collection
Henry Hampton's work in documentary film chronicled the 20th century’s great political and social movements focusing on the lives of...View Collection about Henry Hampton Collection -
Collection Jack Willis Collection
Documentary materials tackling racism, poverty, and environmental issues focusing on “unheard voices, unserved voices.”View Collection about Jack Willis Collection -
Collection Eyes on the Prize
A 14-part series that is considered to be the definitive documentary on the Civil Rights Movement.View Collection about Eyes on the Prize -
Collection William Miles Collection
William Miles was a documentary filmmaker whose work highlighted stories of African American achievements in the military, the arts, sports,...View Collection about William Miles Collection -
Collection Educational Film Collection
Primarily contains academic and educational films from the 1960s and 70s along with supporting materials of teacher, study, and film...View Collection about Educational Film Collection -
Collection Harry Wald Collection
The Harry Wald Collection is an assemblage of burlesque films largely from the 1930s to the 1960s.View Collection about Harry Wald Collection -
Collection Frank Marshall Davis Collection
Interview with Frank Marshall Davis, a noted American writer, journalist, and poet who was a part of the Harlem Renaissance...View Collection about Frank Marshall Davis Collection -
Collection Dana Brown Collection
Original film and audio material, scripts, and correspondence pertinent to the cultural history of the mid-to-late-20th century.View Collection about Dana Brown Collection -
Collection Judy Richardson Personal Papers
Judy Richardson made her mark as a film producer, editor, and lecturer and continues to conduct workshops for teaching the...View Collection about Judy Richardson Personal Papers -
Collection Paradigm Productions Collection
Materials related to two Paradigm films dealing with issues of social justice and inclusion.View Collection about Paradigm Productions Collection
Collecting Areas
Digital Collections
Digital Collections highlight those portions of the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections that have been made or born-digital.
Dowd Illustration Research Archive
The Dowd Illustration Research Archive (formerly Dowd Modern Graphic History Library) at Washington University is comprised of original art and printed material from many fields of popular American pictorial graphic culture.
East Asian Library Special Collections
The East Asian Library houses about 800 volumes of rare and special books, manuscripts, and other types of materials in its special collection.
Film & Media Archive
The Archive is committed to the preservation of documentary film and other media which chronicles America's great political and social movements with a particular emphasis on the African-American experience.
Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library Special Collections
The Art & Architecture Special Collections is a 3,600 volume collection of rare and unique art and design printed materials located at the Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library. The main focus is illustrated books, prints, and photographs from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Local History
The local history collecting area focuses on the history of St. Louis and the surrounding region.
Manuscript Collections
Washington University Libraries' Julian Edison Department of Special Collections Manuscript collections contain a broad range of materials dating from the 2nd century BC through the present.
Modern Literature Collection
The Modern Literature Collection includes more than 175 authors, presses, and journals, with more than 125 of these represented by manuscript materials.
Music Special Collections
Special Collections at the Gaylord Music Library include sheet music, manuscripts, rare books, and digital materials.
Rare Book Collections
The Rare Book Collections include books from all Special Collection areas. The collections’ primary strengths are in the areas of literature; the material culture of the book, including the history of printing, graphic design, and the book arts; and aspects of American and world history.
University Archives
Washington University Archives chronicles the history of Washington University in St. Louis from 1853 to today, with over 300 unique collections including campus publications, reports, photographic prints and negatives, books, film, sound recordings, oral histories, architectural plans, and artifacts.