A film projector whirrs to life as black-and-white images dance across a suspended movie screen. Subtle scratches show traces of wear, as deep lines and faded flashes traipse through the scene. This is no Instagram filter — this is the real deal, the oldest-known film footage of the Texas State Capitol grounds, captured by pioneering Texas filmmakers the Tilley brothers in 1911. These alluring images would be lost forever if not for the efforts of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image.
Founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Dr. Caroline Frick, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is a nonprofit working to discover, preserve, provide access to and educate the community about Texas’ film heritage. TAMI’s ever-growing online collection includes home movies, amateur films, advertisements, and local television, industrial and corporate productions, as well as Hollywood and internationally produced moving images of Texas. By partnering with institutions and individuals across the state, TAMI digitizes and provides web access to thousands of mov- ing images that offer insight into Texas’ history and culture.
“Film and videotapes are fragile and impermanent,” says Madeline Moya, managing director of TAMI. “They’re susceptible to heat and humidity, two staples of Texas’ climate, and can decompose at rapid rates, meaning the history held in those frames is lost forever.”
EVERY MOVING PICTURE TELLS A STORY (clockwise from top left) A still from “President Ayub Khan of Pakistan Arrival in San Antonio” (1961); Lady Bird Johnson and friend in wildflowers on land that is now part of the Mueller Neighborhood in Austin.; a still from “Texas Rangers, Company B Headquarters,” 1957; a still from “Home Movie of Odessa”; a still from the John and Alois Morkovsky Collection, No. 12, “Easter at St. Leo’s Church”; a still from A. M. Harper, “Fishing Trips Home Movie”; a still from Austin Memorial Service for John F. Kennedy; President Truman in El Paso, 1948.
To keep these truly moving images from being lost to the ravages of time, TAMI partners with the Office of the Governor’s Texas Film Commission to administer the Texas Film Round-Up, also known as the Texas Moving Image Archive Program. The Round-Up provides free digitization for Texas-related films and videos, online access to a selection of the contributed films, statewide public programming and educator resources encouraging the use of Texas films in the classroom. More than 40,000 films and videos have been digitized since the program’s inception in 2008.
“Home movies are a crucial part of our public record,” Maya adds. “They’re one of the best documents of our culture that exist. Home movies capture emotions, mannerisms, regional accents and customs — all from the citizen’s per- spective. The Texas Film Round-Up offers a chance for families to find out what is on their 16mm and 8mm film reels or VHS tapes at no cost and gives TAMI the opportunity to piece together the puzzle of our shared Texas past.”
Catch the next Round-Up in Waco in March 2018. Check the TAMI website for more information.
