The Open Video Project

October 12, 2003 12:11 PM

The Open Video Project offers nearly 2,000 videos from various sources and collections, including such gems as 34 reels from the 1930s and 40s in the Digital Himalaya Project, a series of classic television commercials, and, from the Library of Congress, some shorts from the early 1900s, including the popular 2 a.m. in the Subway and A Ballroom Tragedy ("Vaudeville" is a good search term for finding more like this). Also, especially for MeFi, Johnny Learns His Manners.
posted by taz (16 comments total)

This rocks! Thank you, taz!
posted by majick at 12:15 PM on October 12, 2003

wonderful! thanks!
posted by amberglow at 12:19 PM on October 12, 2003

[ this is good ]
posted by skoosh at 12:28 PM on October 12, 2003

More good stuff. Thanks, taz.
posted by plep at 1:07 PM on October 12, 2003

c'mon guys, it's not THAT cool.

psyche!
posted by mcsweetie at 1:11 PM on October 12, 2003

I started downloading this, considering it culturally vital,
then I noticed I had missed that first 'm' in the title. ;-(

Taz, this is a great site you discovered.
I'm glad you pointed it out after my eyes recovered.
posted by troybob at 1:18 PM on October 12, 2003

Ach - troybob, you're not going to believe this, but I had exactly the same misreading. (and sorta disappointed after I saw the "m".)
posted by taz at 1:24 PM on October 12, 2003

Wow! Thomas A. Edison videos!
posted by kozad at 1:43 PM on October 12, 2003

in the same vein, archive.org has a variety of excellent industrial and social hygiene films. for sheer weirdness, i recommend one got fat a monkey driven thriller on bicycle safety.
posted by clockwork at 1:47 PM on October 12, 2003

What, no porn?
posted by Blue Stone at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2003

How about.... drumroll - the Trapeze Disrobing Act?
posted by taz at 2:31 PM on October 12, 2003

I don't know if I could survive watching A Date With Your Family without the help of Mike & the Bots to retain my sanity... "Emotions are for ethnic people." - Crow
posted by ZachsMind at 2:36 PM on October 12, 2003

You want porn? They've got Perversion for Profit, an "anti-pornography film produced by financier Charles Keating". Although I'd dispute the term "financier" for one of the major villains of the '80s S&L scandals (remember them?)...
posted by wendell at 10:16 PM on October 12, 2003

But I digress... great link, taz...
posted by wendell at 10:34 PM on October 12, 2003

Excellent; thanks, taz.
posted by carter at 5:39 AM on October 14, 2003

Good stuff. But not really "open" as in public domain.

"Those wishing to use these video clips in any commercial enterprise must bear the burden of obtaining copyright clearances."
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:55 AM on October 14, 2003