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2016 Year of Anachronism

I’m calling in now just a few days into 2016 that this year will Anachronism, mainly technological anachronisms, and lets just say I couldn’t be happy.  While many of the trends I’m feeling gearing up have been around for a couple of years now, things are just about to get really anachronistic and that’s great for archives and preservation professionals.

Vinyl Rising

The vinyl hasn’t just reemerged it has been given space reserved for CD’s and other sundries in stores from every end of the consumer spectrum. Barnes and Nobles and Urban Outfitters. According to Noisey, one British retailer sold one turntable per minute during this past christmas season. That’s a lot of vinyl spinning capabilities. What’s driving this resurgence is hard to say, but it’s doubtful that its entirely driven

The penutultment sign is Dogfish Head’s Beer to Drink Music To, which becomes available just in time for the now annual Record Store Day which occurs on the third Saturday of April. Though is revival isn’t without controversy. There are few facilities that are still outfitted to press records, and with the boom in demand, these factories have been overwhelmed causing delays. This has massively hampered the ability independent artist to find ways to get their music published in this now in vogue format, causing some to even call for an end to Record Store Day. Again Vice’s Noisey blog has that story.

I’m a Super 8

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Super 8 film, and film in general, is making a come back. Just this week Kodak announced the revival of the presumed dead format with a bit of a digital twist. Made this week at the annual Consumer Electronic Expo, this new device will combine 8 mm film that must be developed by Kodak, but buyers will get a digital copy in addition to the developed analog film. This new product won’t be available until late 2016, and doesn’t necessarily signal a revival of film. The first commercially available “new” super 8 camera will start around 400 dollars, and film cartridges will cost around 50 dollars to process. That’s a steep price for a nostalgia trip, but Kodak promises to release less expensive version in the future for the average film enthusiast on a budget.

This new development alone won’t bring analog film back, but the interest from the film industry may help encourage it. An excellent example of this is Quentin Tarantino’s Road Show for the movie The Hateful Eight. Tarantino, a known lover of analogy cinematography, filmed his most recent movie in film, but not just any film. He used an ultra wide-screen 70mm film that was rarely used in its heyday due to the limited number of theaters that could project it in its original size. Films such as Hello Dolly, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Lawrence of Arabia are examples of films shot and shown in this format. Often smaller prints on traditional 35 mm film would be distributed or the films would have special “road shows” that were more of an experience than a trip to the movies. Tarantino decide to revive this experience, with his own flair and graphic violent presentation. Through special showings around the US, Tarantino’s provide movie goers the chance to see the full film projected on antique 70mm projectors. Hopefully other directors will follow in Tarantino’s bloody footprints, perhaps with a bit less blood.

Polaroid

Polaroid, the company, and the instant film that it’s most known for could be blamed for the current nostalgia bomb we are experience. They’re revival began years ago, fueled in part by the rise of instagram and the hipster culture. The revival began as early as 2008, when a group of insta-film fanatics sought to buy a Netherlands Polaroid factory and continue produce the film after the main company discontinued it’s production. Dubbed the Impossible project, this group began produce film for the icon Polaroid 600. This lead to camera sales, and eventually new products. Polaroid would eventually get back into the insta-film game, as well as Fuji film. Now any where trendy, you’ll find a supplier of insta-film or some analog/digital hybrid insta-photographic technology.

Archives Should Care?

So why should anyone care, let alone archivist? Many may think that these are all passing fads. Record players will gather dust. Super 8 won’t come across as so super. Even the revived Polaroids won’t get shaken any more. This may mean, there’s no reason to engage with new users of these old techs because ultimately they’ll get bored and move on to some thing new and shiny. I’d say seize the day. Find a way to leverage archival collections, preservation expertise, and other skills to encourage and participate in these various revivals of antiquated technology systems. Create workshops about proper film preservation. Upload you tube videos of Super 8 film that’s been preserved and captured in a digital format. Find some way to engage with new diverse publics who are becoming curious to many of the things we deal with. 2016 could be the year of anachronism, and that’s great for archives.