Frames Per Second: Selections from the OHS 16mm News Film Collection

On view at the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) until Jan. 13, “Frames Per Second: Selections from the OHS 16mm News Film Collection, 1969-1981,” features prints of camera originals donated by news stations KOIN and KPTV in the late 1980s.

In 2014, OHS film archivists pulled approximately two hours of footage for the Oregon Experience program “Lift Ev’ry Voice” — a co-production between OHS and Oregon Public Broadcasting. In a film archive, a “pull” refers to a single footage request. The available stories were then physically located, pulled, and spliced together onto larger reels around that one subject. For this pull, relating broadly to civil rights and the African American experience in Portland, only a small portion of the footage made the final edit of the documentary.

Beginning in the early 1960s, stations across the country started using 16mm film to document news outside the studio. With the ability to capture synchronized sound and a capacity to record up to 11 minutes per one 400-foot reel, 16mm film allowed for on-location reporting for the first time. Until the late 1970s, when analog video tape became more accessible, 16mm film was news stations’ format of choice.

“Frames Per Second: Selections from the OHS 16mm News Film Collection, 1969-1981” runs through January 13, 2019.

The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open seven days a week, and is located in the heart of Portland’s Cultural District on the South Park Blocks. Street parking is available, and public lots are easily accessible for visitors. OHS is also located within blocks of bus and light rail lines; visit trimet.org for more information on public transportation in Portland. Admission is free to the Society’s Research Library, which is open Tuesday through Saturday.

OHS Museum Hours

Monday - Saturday: 10am – 5pm

Sundays: Noon – 5pm