If you request an item from the Library’s archive and manuscript collections or stream a film through our website, chances are you’ll come into contact with the history of Scottish working people. Whether it’s the crafting of materials for medieval manuscript illuminations, ledgers documenting the work of crofters, plans used by the builders of Scotland’s […]
Author: Ann Cameron
The Oscars come to the National Library
With the 94th Academy Awards upon us at the end of March, what better time to explore the Library’s film collections and discover a few unexpected connections to the Oscars… A trio of Scottish ‘Best Live Action Shorts’ Seawards the Great Ships (1960) was the first Scottish film to win an Oscar, for best Live […]
Frustration, Fascination and Film Identification
From first viewing, it’s nothing very much to look at, a rather grainy piece of silent colour film lasting just under two minutes. Simply recorded as (Lifeboat Launch) the film was dated rather vaguely as ‘1950s’ with an ‘unknown location’. Time to send in the cataloguers.
Don’t forget to unpack the film catalogue!
The National Library of Scotland’s moving image archive moved to Kelvin Hall recently and one of the first things we unpacked was the catalogue. The new interactive space offers a unique opportunity for people to engage with a vast range of film, video and digital content. This catalogue is the key to unlocking a vast treasure trove of moving […]
Have yourself a very cine Christmas – the power of Frank Marshall’s family films
Only two more sleeps! As children across the land excitedly prepare for Christmas, we unwrap some festive films in the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive. Not only made for fun and entertainment, they also offer evidence of a thriving amateur film-making culture and an emotionally charged record of Scotland’s past. Here are four […]