What really is a record? I don’t plan on answering that, but it’s a good thought for Monday especially after watching this Vice Daily on the Nitrate Picture Show at the George Eastman Museum. The museum is one of the places that has a theater capable of still showing original nitrate prints. Some of the interviewees keep mentioning how the experience viewing these films is different for each viewer. Of course this subjectivity begs the question that we should all ask in archives, is it worth it to preserve the original and allow it to be viewed when its soooo complicated. The George Eastman Museum is of course perfectly capable of doing this, but the there’s a bigger question here about how can we make preservation decisions when the user experience is ultimately subjective? Fun thoughts for Monday morning.
PS:
Going to this is definitely on my list of things I have to do.