Archival Review II: Museum of Modern Art: Film MoMA
Link: https://www.moma.org/about/curatorial-departments/film
Introduction
Since the establishment of its Department of Film in the 1930s, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City has been a leading institution in the preservation, curation, and study of motion pictures. Though early conversations about a dedicated motion picture museum began in 1929 under the guidance of Alfred H. Barr Jr., it wasn’t until February 1934 that MoMA formally announced the creation of its Department of Film in its official Bulletin (MoMA, n.d.-a). Recognizing the cultural and artistic significance of film, Barr championed its inclusion as an essential element of modern art. In 1933, he appointed Iris Barry, a former film critic, as the department’s first film librarian. Despite lacking formal library science training, Barry’s extensive knowledge of cinema and her involvement with The New York Film Society positioned her as a trailblazer in film curation and preservation.
Barry’s impact on MoMA extended beyond conventional curatorial duties. Leveraging her connections within The New York Film Society—whose members included influential figures such as Nelson Rockefeller, son of MoMA benefactor Abby Rockefeller—she secured vital financial backing and institutional support. Nelson Rockefeller would later become MoMA’s president, further cementing the Department of Film’s place within the museum’s mission (MoMA, n.d.-a). Barry’s efforts were instrumental in positioning film as a recognized form of modern art, worthy of the same critical and institutional attention as painting, sculpture, and architecture.
In 1935, the Department of Film launched its Film Library, marking one of the earliest systematic efforts in the United States to collect, preserve, and study motion pictures. Under Barry’s leadership, MoMA’s film collection quickly became one of the world’s most significant, setting a precedent for film preservation practices in other cultural institutions (Catapano, 1994).
Scope of Collection
Since its inception, the MoMA Film Library has evolved into one of the most comprehensive film archives globally, housing approximately 30,000 films and 1.5 million film stills (MoMA, n.d.-a). Its expansive holdings span a wide range of formats and genres, from early silent films to contemporary cinema, reflecting MoMA’s commitment to preserving the breadth of film history. The collection includes both fragile nitrate films and more stable acetate-based safety stock, each requiring specialized conservation strategies to ensure long-term preservation (MoMA, n.d.-b).
Beyond film reels, the archive contains a rich collection of film-related ephemera, including distribution and equipment catalogs from the early 1900s, fan magazines, press books, posters, postcards, souvenir programs, and sheet music associated with early cinema (MoMA, n.d.-c). These materials offer critical insight into the cultural and industrial contexts of film production, distribution, and reception.
The MoMA Film Library also houses an extensive paper collection, encompassing screenplays, production notes, periodicals, and cinema programs dating from the 1910s through the 1980s. This diverse range of materials supports scholarly research, offering a multidimensional perspective on film history and practice.
MoMA’s acquisition strategies are governed by a rigorous Collections Management Policy (2020), which ensures that new acquisitions align with the museum’s mission and meet archival standards for long-term preservation. The policy emphasizes legal and ethical considerations, requiring thorough provenance research to avoid acquiring works of questionable origin or those obtained under duress. Curators must conduct due diligence to secure clear legal title for all acquisitions, following guidelines set by organizations such as the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) (MoMA, 2020).
While the primary focus is on motion pictures, MoMA also maintains a study collection for works that, while not suited for the permanent collection, still hold educational or research value. Donors are notified when their contributions are designated for this collection.
Outreach & Preservation
A cornerstone of MoMA’s mission is its commitment to education and public engagement. The Celeste Bartos International Film Study Center serves as a hub for scholarly research, offering access to an extensive array of films, screenplays, reviews, and archival documents. Scholars, students, and historians can explore MoMA’s vast holdings by appointment, though the full catalog remains offline; specific inquiries can be submitted through the museum’s digital request system (MoMA, n.d.-d).
Public engagement extends beyond academic research through MoMA’s robust exhibition and screening programs. The Department of Film regularly hosts screenings drawn from its collection, showcasing both classic and contemporary works. Additionally, MoMA operates a Circulating Film and Video Library and a Film Loan Program, allowing other cultural institutions and academic organizations to borrow prints for public exhibition. As a founding member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), MoMA adheres to established preservation protocols for film loans, ensuring consistency across borrowing institutions (MoMA, n.d.-e).
Preservation has been central to MoMA’s mission since the Department of Film’s founding. The opening of The Celeste Bartos Film Preservation Center in Hamlin, Pennsylvania, in 1996 marked a significant advancement in the museum’s conservation efforts. The $11.2 million facility, designed by Davis, Brody & Associates, provides state-of-the-art storage for MoMA’s vast film collection (MoMA, n.d.-b).
The center features two specialized buildings: one dedicated to nitrate films produced between 1894 and 1951 and another housing acetate-based safety stock and non-film materials, including posters, photographs, and production notes. The facility employs individualized climate-controlled vaults to ensure the longevity of its diverse holdings, with temperature and humidity levels tailored to specific formats.
Preservation efforts extend beyond storage, as MoMA actively undertakes restoration projects using both photochemical and digital methods to create new master elements. These initiatives ensure that historically significant films remain accessible to future generations while maintaining the integrity of the original works. MoMA’s leadership in film restoration has solidified its reputation as a global authority in film preservation.
References
Catapano, P. (1994). Creating "Reel" value: The establishment of MoMA's film library, 1935-37. Film & History, 24(3), 28. Newark, N.J.: Historians Film Committee. https://muse-jhu-edu.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/article/395808/pdf
Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.-a). Film: About the department. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.moma.org/about/curatorial-departments/film
Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.-b). Film preservation. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.moma.org/research/film-preservation/#history
Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.-c). Film study center. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.moma.org/research/study-centers/film-study-center
Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.-d). The Celeste Bartos International Film Study Center. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.moma.org/research/film-preservation/#the-film-study-center
Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.-e). Collections management policy. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.moma.org/momaorg/shared/pdfs/docs/about/Collections-Management-Policy-2020-04-20.pdf
