Periscope Film LLC

06/08/2026

We just scanned and posted a short film showing the aftermath of the Air Force's attack on the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. The official narrative says it was a tragic mistake; others believed it was a deliberate attack. (Note: This film was donated to us by a fan — James P. Thanks so much James, this footage is truly historic.)

Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on P...

05/17/2026

Sometimes we get 16mm films delivered one at a time by the post office. Other days it happens like this …

05/08/2026

Back in January, a fan named Brian Van Ocker sent us a mystery 16mm home movie containing footage of a road race. After scanning it, we were able to determine that it shows racing at Watkins Glen, with the track in an early configuration (1950s). Brian shared the scan with a WG historian, and we've tried to research it, but so far we've not been able to come up with a precise date for this race. There are many clues, including car types and numbers. Perhaps you can figure it out? Also thanks to Brian for sharing this incredible film with us!! https://youtu.be/QBEoLh8SKZ8

04/29/2026

Giggle for today ... check out this "Effen Products" 16mm film can. Hey jerko, stick your Effen film in your Effen can!

(Question: were the folks at Effen Products in on the joke ... or was most of Brooklyn laughing at them behind their backs?!)

04/24/2026

This is super cool -- we just got an email from Christopher P. who writes:

The bus operator that appears throughout your film "The Operator and Safety"(https://youtu.be/2JHjcg9Eovg?si=PDRPyCtSOUacdt2g) -- is my grandfather, William Rechner. My daughter was the one who found it and she knew right away that this was him, as we have still photos form this shoot that were used to produce an instructional booklet. After all these years, we never knew that a film was also produced along with the still photos. The booklet is dated 1946, so I am guessing that this was filmed in 1945-ish, so he is around 40 years old. This is Philadelphia and the transportation company is Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC). The bus number in the film is the same in the still photos that I have and the locations are the same.

As you can imagine, this film has incredible meaning to me. I am still in disbelief seeing this.

I have attached some of the 8x10 photos that I have.

Thank you,

Christopher P."

04/03/2026

Usually we get films in shipments of 1-2 prints. But last weekend — we got innundated with 16mm films!!

03/17/2026

Check out 's new about investigative journalist Seymour Hirsch, whose storied career includes blowing the lid off the My Lai massacre, the CIA's Jennifer Project, and the Abu Ghraib scandal. Directed by Mark Obenhaus ("Steep") and Laura Poitras ("Citizenfour"), this is a fascinating look at Hirsch's methods and motivations. And — look closely and you'll see some footage from the Periscope Film archive on screen. https://www.netflix.com/title/82145211

03/15/2026

As we prep films for scanning, we find lots of bad splices that need repair! This one, made with paper tape, is top 10 bad.

03/05/2026

Touring the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science’s Pickford Center film vault. Thousands of 35mm (and 70mm) Hollywood classics are preserved here … if only we had this kind of storage at Periscope Film! (Loved seeking a print of “Jackie Brown” on the shelf — see photo.)

03/03/2026

Thanks to BoingBoing for writing a tribute post about "Basic Principles of Frequency Modulation" -- a WWII film guide to all things FM. Read it at:

A 1944 War Department training film explains FM radio with animated diagrams and a GI's electric razor. Classified until 1949.