Streaming Video Resources
The Library licenses access to streaming videos from a number of vendors. This list provides links to and descriptions of video and film collections available to the Cornell community, as well as some resources available to the general public.
- Internet Archive Moving Image ArchiveContains over a million digital movies including classic full-length films, documentaries, news broadcasts, cartoons, concerts, industrial and government films, classic television shows, and commercials.
- Kanopy.comKanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides students and faculty with access to more than 26,000 films each year. Kanopy works directly with filmmakers and film distribution companies to offer award-winning collections including titles from PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, Media Education Foundation and more
- March of TimeProvides streaming access to Time Inc.'s unique and controversial film series, The March of Time, which was shown in movie theaters and on television from 1935-1967. The newsreels have been restored by HBO Archives, allowing viewers to experience these historic newsreels as audiences did in earlier decades.
- Vanderbilt Television News ArchiveCoverage: 1968 to date. Includes individual network evening news broadcasts from major U.S. national broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, and more than 9,000 hours of special news-related programming including ABC’s Nightline. Includes commercials, searchable by brand name. Some broadcasts available via streaming video or transcripts.
- YouTubeThough its original intent was to "allow billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos," YouTube has become a de facto repository for clips and full-length films of all kinds, including commercial releases. Some material has not been been posted legally, so content can disappear.
Print Primary Sources
The databases below contain digitized resources that contain historical publications -- magazines, newspapers, etc. that include material on film, television, and other facets of mass culture.
- Popular Culture in Britain and America 1950-1975.Popular Culture explores the dynamic period of social, political and cultural change between 1950 and 1975. The resource offers thousands of colour images of manuscript and rare printed material as well as photographs, ephemera and memorabilia from this exciting period in our recent history.
- Entertainment industry magazine archive"An archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000. The core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music press titles. Magazines have been scanned cover-to-cover in high-resolution color, with granular indexing of all articles, covers, ads and reviews."--Publisher description.
- Media History Digital LibrarySearchable, full-text collection of vintage film periodicals now in the public domain, scanned from private collections. Coverage ranges from the 1910s through the 1970s. Includes both popular and trade publications, such as Photoplay, Motion Picture News, Close Up, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, and more.
- Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982A database containing comprehensive indexing of the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States. Reflects the history of 20th century America. Covers these areas: Aeronautics, African-Americans, Aging, Archeology, Astronomy, Automobiles, Biographies, Business, Children, Education, Environment, Fashion, Film, Fine Arts, Food, Foreign Affairs, Gardening, Health, History, Hobbies, Home, Journalism, Leisure Activities, Literature, Medicine, Music, News, Nutrition, Photography, Politics, Popular Culture, Radio, Religion, Science, Sports, Technology, Television, Travel. The complete database covers the years 1890 through 1982.
Division of Rare & Manuscript Collections
Housed on the lowest level of Kroch Library, the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections is open for research Monday-Friday, 10:30am-4:30pm, and on some Saturday afternoons. Please consult their web site for specific hours. This is Cornell's largest collection of archival and rare book materials. While books are listed in the library catalog, archival collections are described at the collection (rather than at the item) level, and many have further details on collection contents and arrangement listed on finding guides.
Researchers must register to use the Rare collections. To register: Fill out this online form, then bring a photo ID to the RMC Reference Desk when you come in to do your research.