Document Type
Article
Abstract
Although the fire risks associated with nitrate film stock are widely known, understanding of the relationship between nitrate decomposition and combustibility remains weak. This paper surveys the contradictory descriptions of decomposition and combustibility of motion picture film in current archival and safety literature, evaluates their sources, and compares them to descriptions by image stability researchers and chemists. Throughout, the author argues that the dialogue among the archival, safety, and scientific communities is inadequate and that no community has satisfactorily established the evolution of flammability as nitrate decomposes. The author concludes by outlining a plan for nitrate research and advocacy over the short, medium, and long terms.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in The American Archivist, Volume 73, Issue 2, 2010, pages 483-506.
Burn After Viewing, or, Fire in the Vaults: Nitrate Decomposition and Combustibility by Heather Heckman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 United States License.
APA Citation
Heckman, H. (2010). Burn after viewing, or, fire in the vaults: Nitrate decomposition and combustibility. The American Archivist, 73(2), 483–506. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.73.2.n2746075wr84356t
Rights
Burn After Viewing, or, Fire in the Vaults: Nitrate Decomposition and Combustibility by Heather Heckman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 United States License.
Included in
Library and Information Science Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons