Florida State Moving Image Center and Archive

The Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, Inc., in Miami

Adopted in 1989

The Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, Inc., in Miami, was  designated as an official state moving image center and archive of the State of Florida in 1989.

The Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives is an official moving image repository and archives of the State of Florida and is one of the largest institutions of its kind in the United States.

Florida State Moving Image Center and Archive
The Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, Inc, in Miami

Founded in 1984, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives houses over 35,000 hours of video tape and 23 million feet of film. A local television news collection dates to the late 1940s, with footage from landmark television station WTVJ (first in Florida, 18th in the nation) as well as WPLG, WCKT, WCIX, and WINK. A television documentaries collection covers the topics of immigration, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Program, presidential elections, and many more global events and trends that have played out on the Florida stage. Finally, home movie holdings of over 3000 reels dating to the 1910s bring long-gone buildings, attractions, and folkways alive for new generations

Lynn Wolfson helped found the Moving Image Archives in 1984, along with Ralph Renick and historian Arva Moore Parks. Named in honor of Lynn and Louis Wolfson II, a leader in Florida's communications industry, the Archives was created under the joint sponsorship of the Miami-Dade Public Library System, Miami Dade College, and the University of Miami.

Now exclusively operated by the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College, the Archives has moved to its permanent home on the Campus.The Wolfson Archives' mission is to collect, preserve, catalog, and make accessible film and video materials which document Florida's history and culture. The Archives is an essential resource for the community, State and nation, and provides unique materials to researchers, film and video producers, and the general public. A year-round screening program features materials from the Archives' collections and those of other archives throughout the nation and abroad.

The Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives depends on contributions from its users and benefactors to operate. In addition to contributions and grants, the Wolfson Archives seeks donations of any film or video materials, particularly those related to Florida.

Collections

The Wolfson Archive's collections span nearly a century, with the earliest materials dating from the 1910s, and contains millions of feet of film and thousands of hours of videotape. These include:

Television News Footage
The Wolfson Archives began with a donation of cut news stories and public affairs programs from the library of WTVJ Channel 4, Florida's first television station and the 16th in the country. The collection dates to the late 1940′s, and now includes donations from many other television stations.

Documentaries
The Wolfson Archives is home to hundreds of news documentary films on a wide range of topics, including immigration, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Program, presidential elections, the Vietnam War, and many more.

Home Movies
The Wolfson Archives contains a growing collection of home movie reels in 8 and 16 mm, with some reels dating to the 1910′s. Selections from this collection are featured in the annual Home Movie Day event, but donations are accepted year-round, with current holdings now at several thousand reels.

Florida Law

The law designating the Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, Inc., in Miami as the official Florida state moving image center and archive is found in the Florida Revised Statutes, Title 2, Chapter 15, Section 15.0396

Title IV EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chapter 15 SECRETARY OF STATE
Section 15.0396

15.0396 Official state moving image center and archive.- The Louis Wolfson II Media History Center, Inc., in Miami, is hereby designated as an official state moving image center and archive of the State of Florida.
History.- s. 1, ch. 89-251.