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Technicolor Reference Collection

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Three-color Technicolor test film frame, possibly by Robert Edmund Jones, circa 1932. Woman unidentified.

The Technicolor Reference Collection is one of the largest film collections in the Archive’s holdings. The collection consists of original film prints produced by Technicolor Labs’ dye-transfer printing process, which, due to its long-term dye stability, has now become an invaluable resource for film archivists, researchers, and preservationists. Much of the Collection is restricted to research or preservation use, although complete prints are occasionally loaned out for special public screenings, thus enabling select audiences to experience the oft-touted “glory of Technicolor” on the big screen. Since 1975, the Archive has housed over a 1000 items related to the Technicolor Reference Collection, including feature films, cartoons, short subjects, documentaries, trailers, and theater advertising, as well as special venue and industrial films. Among the holdings are many beautiful and rare prints, including some unique filmic experiments with color saturation levels.

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