Northwestern University Medical School Film Collection
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents
This is an artificial collection of 8 films created by or collected by Northwestern University Medical School (now known as Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), spanning the years 1929 to 1959. It includes both unedited footage and produced films. All the films but one show cultural or institutional events related to medicine. Medical education films are part of the Medical Motion Pictures Collection.
Of particular note are the two films titled Northwestern Marches On. These films showcase the activities of medical school faculty and clinical staff in the newly-opened A. Montgomery Ward Memorial Building in the late 1920s. The films begin with a brief history of the medical school, then show the Ward building groundbreaking, and highlight various medical clinics, departments, and research in the new building.
Three films portray unedited footage of landmark events in the medical school's history: parts of the medical school's centennial celebration in 1959 and the Morton Medical Research Building's cornerstone laying ceremony in 1954.
Two films include candid footage of prominent academics and scientists, including Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov and some Northwestern faculty, attending international meetings: the 13th International Congress of Physiology held in Boston in 1929 and the International Neurological Congress held in Bern, Switzerland, in 1931.
Finally, one otherwise unidentified film depicts the city streets and people in St. Petersburg and Moscow, presented without information or context.
Dates
- 1929-1959
Conditions Governing Access
Access to the physical films is restricted at the discretion of the Galter Library staff due to the fragile nature of the film. Please contact Special Collections staff for more information.
Access to the digitized films is determined at the item level. Refer to individual records for access information.
Extent
10 Reels
8 items
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This is an artificial collection of 8 films created by or collected by Northwestern University Medical School (now known as Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), spanning the years 1929 to 1959. It includes both unedited footage and produced films.
Arrangement
Arranged at the item level, alphabetically by title.
Physical Location
This collection is stored off-site, and the items are housed with the Medical Motion Pictures Collection, the Northwestern University Dental School Film Collection, and the Northwestern University Medical School Audio Collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was transferred to Galter Health Sciences Library, formerly known as Archibald Church Library, at an unknown date. There is no longer documentation about the transfer or the collection. It is surmised that all the films were once held by the Department of Audio-Visual Medical Education, and that the department transferred its film collection to the library upon its dissolution, possibly around 1955. In the 1980s or 1990s, library staff weeded out most of the films that were not created by medical or dental school faculty.
General
Select recordings have been made public via the Internet Archive. You can see if a recording for a specific item is available by selecting the item link in the Collection Organization table.
Processing Information
The digitization of this collection was supported by a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
These films were digitized in 2021 by The MediaPreserve. All films were rehoused in archival film cans and transferred from original metal reels to archival cores when possible. The original canisters have been retained and stored separately from the films. Reels were discarded. Each record indicates the physical location of both the film itself and its original canister.
- Title
- Guide to the Northwestern University Medical School Film Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Emma Florio, Dave Heckler, Katie Lattal
- Date
- 2022/04/26
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- The digitization of this collection was supported by a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Library Details
Part of the Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center Repository
320 E. Superior Ave.
Chicago IL 60611-3008 US
312-503-1913
ghsl-specialcollections@northwestern.edu