Atomic Energy Commission Films Available Online

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Atomic Energy Commission Films Available Online

https://www.energy.gov/lm/atomic-energy-commission-films-available-online

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The Department of Energy History program is releasing digital versions of historical Atomic Energy Commission films. The initial rollout features twenty-two digitized documentaries covering early reactor operations, national laboratories, and peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

These archival materials provide industry observers with a direct look at Cold War era public outreach and educational media. The collection documents early public relations efforts and technical training films that supported the development of commercial nuclear power and research infrastructure.

The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), established in 1946, used documentary filmmaking as one of its primary public outreach tools. Between the late 1940s and the agency's dissolution in 1974, it sponsored hundreds of films that documented nuclear research, promoted peaceful uses of atomic energy, trained scientists and engineers, and shaped...

Most of these films are available for viewing at the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) in its Moving Pictures and Sound Research Room in College Park, Maryland. However, the vast majority are only available in 16 mm format. Only a fraction have been digitized.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of AEC's creation, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) History program is providing direct, phased access to more of these films. The first phase includes descriptions and links to 22 films that can be downloaded from the NARA website. The second phase will provide access to films that have not previously been digitized by NARA, but will soon be viewable via DOE's History program.

Read the full article at Energy.gov:
https://www.energy.gov/lm/atomic-energy-commission-films-available-online