Exploring Irish American History Through the Rabbit Hole

The Library of Congress, known as the keeper of American memory, holds a vast collection of over 178 million books, manuscripts, recordings, maps, photographs, and moving images. Among these treasures is a two-minute trace of “The Callahans and the Murphys,” a piece of American history preserved for future generations.

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, on the outskirts of Culpeper, Va., is the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, an underground facility built by the federal government in the late 1960s. Originally intended to store billions of dollars in cash in the event of nuclear war, the facility was later repurposed and expanded to house nearly 90 miles of shelving for a vast collection of cultural artifacts.

Within the walls of this mountain hideaway are four million scripts, posters, photos, sound recordings, and moving-image items, meticulously preserved for posterity. Among the treasures are about 140,000 cans of nitrate films stored in specially designed vaults at a temperature of precisely 39 degrees. These vaults house films from various studios, including Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures, showcasing the rich history of American cinema.

“It is not meant to be a comprehensive representation of American cinema,” said Pierce, the center’s assistant chief. “It is not our goal, and we don’t have the space or the staff, to collect absolutely everything on film.” Despite this limitation, the dedicated staff at the center work tirelessly to handle, preserve, and curate these invaluable pieces of American culture.

From shipping prints of classic musicals to repairing fragile negatives of early Bette Davis films, the staff at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center are the unsung heroes of American history. Their work ensures that future generations will be able to experience and appreciate the rich tapestry of American cinema for years to come.