Robert Drew Collection

JFK

In 1998, the Archive acquired over 600 boxes of film and video from Robert and Anne Drew, at that time its largest collection ever. In the early 1960s, Drew pioneered a new form of non-fiction filmmaking using lightweight cameras that allowed filmmakers to closely record intimate portraits of their subjects. Drew first referred to this revolutionary process as "candid drama,” but it soon became known as "cinéma vérité.” This collection includes not only prints, but original negatives and outtakes from Drew’s more than 50-year filmmaking career. The Archive embarked upon an ambitious program to preserve Mr. Drew’s films, which so far has included “Primary” (1960), “Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment” (1963), “The Chair” (1963), “On the Road with Duke Ellington” (1974), and “Adventures on the New Frontier” (1961).

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