The Lost Film Archives

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of curation. Even before social media, the fact a job exists that allows one to search the world for unique and special items to display to the crowds is something that I value in our society. 

It’s an overshared term now as we see a surge in self proclaimed curators, myself being one of them, but The Archives is a little untraditional in the sense that it uses traditional forms of curation in a modern way. By hunting down photos, the physical process of scavenging, and scanning them for a digital space, we are, in a way, connecting generations together to demonstrate the continuous timeline of life. 

Photos found in thrift stores, on the web, estate sales or passed along by friends. This is a history project. By showcasing photographs by everyday Americans and citizens of the world, we can explore a bit of how life was while major events were occurring world wide. Times of uncertainty, unfair rulers, wars and protest have plagued communities for all of human history. For all the times of chaos, there are moments of peace, of change and of love. Our governments may fight but it’s the voice of the people that matters the most and I hope the Lost Film Archives can be a voice of truth. 

What started as a restless morning and a need to read a book ended in a film negative from 1964 landing on my feet. After scanning these hidden gems, I found myself wanting to find more photos exactly like this, by people who did not have the platform to share their memories and their art. Not only to give them the space that they didn’t have before the internet but also to give a true depiction of what life was like for those who came before us. 

I promise to do my research and find photos that represent America and the world, all races and religions, gender and places and I promise to provide a diverse timeline of these lost photos. I encourage you to dig up your lost film and share. 

www.instagram.com/lostfilmarchives