Charlie Chaplin Movies

One of our uploaders recently added a large number of Charlie Chaplin movies to the Archive - we now have more than 60 of them! Here are a few of our favorites:

• The Kid Auto Race in Venice (1914)
• Cruel, Cruel Love (1914)
• The Tramp (1915)
• Sunnyside (1919)
• The Kid (1921)

Search for more Charlie Chaplin films on archive.org.

– Alexis

VJ Loops and Performances

This new collection includes video clips and loops intended for use in VJ performances. Some of the clips I found interesting:

• Mannequin Factory
• fondo abstracto
• decosntruccion natural
• vidsigmachine vj loops
• Space Skiiers
• Tango Ghosts

This collection also includes clips from live VJ performances.

– Alexis

Alternative Christmas Music

The holidays are an occasion for celebration, and we can’t think of a better way to rejoice than with a little music.

My current favorite is A Happy Puppy Christmas, with stunning renditions of Merry Christmas Darling and Chester the Chicken’s Egg-White Christmas.

The Librivox volunteers took a break from recording audio books to sing some Christmas carols - my favorites are God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Dona Nobis Pacem and Away in a Manger.

If you’re looking for something truly “alternative,” may I suggest:

• Merry Christmas 2004 by SonnyJim
• Silber Sounds of Christmas
• Christmas with the Swirrels
• A Technetium Christmas
• The 8bits of Christmas
• 12 Drugs of Christmas

– Alexis

Paper Models

If you’re looking for a little project to do with the kids (older kids - these are a little complicated!), try making a paper model. We’ve got a few really cool ones on the archive to try out (all in pdf):

• French satellite A-1 nicknamed Asterix (instructions | model sheet)
• V-2 rocket (instructions | model sheet)
• Thor-Able Launch Vehicle for Pioneer 1 (instructions | model sheet | display stand)

– Alexis

Cute Trix: The Art and Stories of Beatrix Potter

Much of the work of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit and many beloved children’s characters, is now in the public domain. This is great news for anyone wishing to create derivative works from her art or simply read and enjoy her books online for free. The Archive’s Texts collection includes many of her illustrated stories which may be browsed, downloaded, or shared.

Hint: For the best result, select the “Flip Book” or the “HTML” link in the upper left-hand box of the page:

• The Story of Miss Moppet
• The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
• The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
• The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
• The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck
• The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
• The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
• The Tale of Mr. Tod
• The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan
• The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
• The Tale of Tom Kitten
• The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
• The Tailor of Gloucester

– Renata

Odes to San Francisco (films)

Here at the Archive we’re rather partial to San Francisco: When we manage to tear ourselves from our computers, we can walk out our back door and find views of the Golden Gate. The Archive has a ton of films that feature “The City That Knows How”: Here’s a brief tour through time which highlights a few:

• Crowds at Ocean Beach, 1900
  This brief glimpse, with the Cliff House hanging in the background, feels like seeing a living 19th century painting. They sure are wearing a lot of clothes!
• San Francisco Earthquake Aftermath, 1906
  This ghostly footage of destruction is eerily disturbing. An early cable car can be seen.
• San Francisco by the Golden Gate, 1932
  This film skips terribly but is worth watching. When the narrator speaks of the Golden Gate and shows an aerial shot, there is no bridge! And the wind mill in Golden Gate Park is actually operating.
• Brooklyn Goes to San Francisco, 1947
  Phil Foster narrates this tourist’s view of San Francisco that visits China Town, the Barbary Coast, and the Golden Gate Bridge. A favorite quote: It’s “the only town that goes in six directions: North, South, East, West, up, down”. You can see riders actually pushing the cable cars.
• Touring San Francisco, 2006
  Yeah, this was chosen for the cheesy song, and because it provides a current view of the city.

– Renata

The BEAR-able Lightness of Being Archive.org

As hibernation season sets in for bears of the Northern Hemisphere, it seems appropriate to blog about our favorite furry friends. While real life bears snore away the dark days of winter, there are plenty of teddy bears, gummy bears, animated bears, bear costumes, bear songs, and Cinnamon Bears on Archive.org to lighten our hours. Besides, it’s Friday and we can BEAR-ly contain ourselves!

• Teddy’s eye view of San Francisco, plus kidnapping!
  A teddy bear’s adventure in San Francisco
• Bear at a Tokyo Shop: Shibuya Apple & Bear
• Lusty Bear (quaint old song): I’m a Bear in a Lady’s Boudoir
  
• Teddy Bear CPR (A Collection Team favorite we will feature again and again and): Teddy Rescue
• Star-Crossed Gummy Bears (perhaps this is a little on the heavy side): Letters to Patrick
• Silly song w/ lots of bear photos: Bobo The Bear
• Old-time Radio Show: The Cinnamon Bear
• Real-life bears! Polar Bear and Cubs

– Renata