The Universal Newsreel Collection is the largest donated newsreel collection in the Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives. The popular collection includes nearly 4,000 edited releases which were originally shown in movie theaters, as well as 8,500 reels of unedited outtakes.
Nearly 4,000 Universal Newsreel Release descriptions have been added to the National Archives Catalog, the result of a unique, multi-year collaborative effort by NARA staff of the Moving Image and Sound Branch and Citizen Archivist Phil Stewart. The project’s goal was to systematically transcribe the content of the twice-weekly synopsis, or release sheets, for each year. The descriptions provide the release date, titles and brief summaries of the individual stories in each release for the film reels in NARA’s holdings, which date from July 1929 to December 1967, when Universal ceased operations.
Motion Picture Releases of the Universal Newsreel Library, 1929 - 1967. Universal Newsreel Volume 39, Release 37, May 5, 1966. Voters cast ballots in Alabama elections. National Archives Identifier 234275024
The descriptions were made live in the Catalog in February 2022, and digital video files and any tags which were originally added to the legacy descriptions have been added subsequently.
Motion Picture Releases of the Universal Newsreel Library, 1929 - 1967. Universal Newsreel Volume 39, Release 37. Willie Mays, Giants' star Home Run slugger, puts one out of Candlestick Park for his 512th homer, setting a new National League career Home Run record. National Archives Identifier 234275024
Many thanks to Citizen Archivist Phil Stewart for his time and efforts on this project, and to Dan Rooney, Ellen Mulligan and Carol Swain from the Moving Image and Sound Branch of the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. This feature was adapted from their blog post on the Unwritten Record blog.
We hope you’ve had a chance to check it out! This new and improved Catalog maximizes our ability to make the records of the National Archives even more accessible.
Our new Catalog is still a work in progress! Over the next several months, we will be introducing new features, including additional advanced and faceted search options, enhanced image viewing, bulk records export, Citizen Archivist contribution enhancements, and much more. More information about the new Catalog and a list of available and upcoming features is available on archives.gov. Stay tuned for more information and updates!
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