Morris and Dorothy Margolin film collection, 1947-1982 and undated
Navigate the Collection
Summary
- Creator:
- Margolin, Morris, 1908-1990
- Abstract:
- The Morris and Dorothy Margolin film collection dates from 1947 to 1982 and includes twenty-five 16mm and seven Super 8 motion picture films created by Morris Margolin, chiefly documenting Morris and Dorothy's international travels. The films include footage from Pakistan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, and Kenya -- rare destinations for Western travelers in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Highlights include an abundance of images of the Soviet Union and Israel, and images of Capetown documenting the apartheid years. All of the films are color, and a few include sound elements such as narration, music, or even sound effects. The collection also includes a handful of home movies that document family trips and events such as graduations and birthdays, and one film that appears to be a professionally produced documentary about the Soviet Union. The films are complemented by over 4,000 color slides of still images taken during their travels. The collection, arranged chronologically, also includes Digital Betacam preservation tapes, DVD masters and DVD use copies.
- Extent:
- 10.5 Linear Feet
Approx. 4850 Items - Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.10157
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Morris and Dorothy Margolin Film Collection includes 32 home movies that capture the Margolins' travels between 1947 and 1976. Destinations represented in the collection include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Kenya, Majorca, Monaco, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. All of the films are in color, and a few include sound.
Also included is a handful of home movies that document family trips and events such as graduations and birthdays, and one film that appears to be a professionally produced documentary about the Soviet Union acquired by the Margolins during their travels.
Particularly notable is the adventurous nature of many of the countries visited, such as the Soviet Union, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, and Kenya -- rare destinations for Western travelers in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The films are also noteworthy because Morris often trained his camera on his surroundings, recording everyday life as well as architectural and geographical features of the countries he visited. His wife Dorothy also makes frequent appearances in the films.
The films are complemented by over 4,000 color slides taken in most of these same countries from 1959 to 1982. Of particular interest are images from the former Soviet Union and Israel, both from the mid-1960s, images of South Africa during apartheid, as well as early images of France, Italy, and Thailand.
Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Born on July 28, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York, Morris Margolin spent most of his life in the New York metropolitan area. He graduated from New York University (NYU) in 1926 and taught accounting at Far Rockaway High School in Queens, New York from 1933 to 1940. Morris was the founding partner of Margolin, Winer & Evans, an accounting firm established in Jamaica, New York, in 1946 that later moved to Garden City, Long Island. He was also a charter member and former president of the Jamaica, Queens, chapter of B'nai B'rith, a global Jewish community service organization.
In 1936, Morris married Dorothy Safran. Dorothy was born to Polish parents in Budapest, Hungary, on July 28, 1911. Her family emmigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in New York City. Dorothy graduated from NYU, where she studied Spanish language and culture, and also did graduate work. Dorothy was a lover of the arts and an active member of Women Strike for Peace. The couple had two daughters: Elaine, born in 1940, and Linda, born in 1944.
Morris was an amateur filmmaker, photography enthusiast, and classical music aficionado. The Margolins were avid travelers, taking an extensive series of international trips. Morris documented their travels through his photography and filmmaking and then shared his films with fellow members of the Metropolitan Film Club in Manhattan and at B'nai B'rith functions. The couple also hosted screenings in their home for friends and family.
Morris retired in 1970, and the Margolins soon moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where Morris continued to share his films and photos with new friends. Morris passed away in 1990, Dorothy in 2007.
- Acquisition information:
- The Morris and Dorothy Margolin film collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2006 and 2011.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Stephanie Barnwell, September 2011; some shot lists by Beth Ann Koelsch
Encoded by Stephanie Barnwell, September 2011
Addition of slides processed by Levi Crews, Joanne Fairhurst, Leslie Hayes, Paula Jeannet, and Sara Reams, November 2013; encoded by Paula Jeannet and Sara Reams, November 2013
Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 2006-0114, 2011-0174
- Arrangement:
-
The films are arranged chronologically and includes Super 8mm and 16mm reversal originals as well as Digital Betacam preservation tape masters and DVD masters. DVD use copies of each film are available to researchers. All of the films in the collection are in color. Many are silent, but some include sound elements such as voiceover narration, music, and even sound effects.
Film titles were taken directly from original labels and typically give an overview of destinations visisted on a particular trip. For most films, a preliminary or detailed shot list is included in the collection guide. These provide more information on specific cities and sites visited. Reel numbers were assigned by archivists during processing; they generally reflect order of accession.
The slides are also arranged chronologically, then alphabetically by country.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- Tourism -- Pictorial works
International travel -- Pictorial works - Format:
- Home movies
Audiovisual materials
16mm
Reversal film
Color films (visual works)
Color slides
16mm
Super 8
Travelogs
Motion pictures (visual works) - Names:
- Archive of Documentary Arts (Duke University)
Metropolitan Film Club
Margolin family
Margolin, Dorothy - Places:
- Scotland -- Description and travel
South Africa -- Description and travel
Spain -- Description and travel
Sweden -- Description and travel
Pakistan -- Description and travel
Portugal -- Description and travel
Puerto Rico -- Description and travel
Romania -- Description and travel
United States -- Description and travel
Soviet Union -- Description and travel
Yugoslavia -- Description and travel
Switzerland -- Description and travel
Tanzania -- Description and travel
Thailand -- Description and travel
Turkey -- Description and travel
Greece -- Description and travel
Germany -- Description and travel
Hong Kong (China) -- Description and travel
Hawaii -- Description and travel
Israel -- Description and travel
Hungary -- Description and travel
Italy -- Description and travel
Canada -- Description and travel
England -- Description and travel
Denmark -- Description and travel
France -- Description and travel
Ethiopia -- Description and travel
Belgium -- Description and travel
Austria -- Description and travel
Norway -- Description and travel
Morocco -- Description and travel
Monaco -- Description and travel
Majorca (Spain) -- Description and travel
Kenya -- Description and travel
Jamaica -- Description and travel
Japan -- Description and travel
Bulgaria -- Description and travel
Europe -- Description and travel -- 19th century
Contents
Using These Materials
- Using These Materials Links:
-
Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research and digital viewing copies are also available through this collection guide. Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use.
Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
- Terms of access:
-
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
- Before you visit:
- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Morris and Dorothy Margolin film collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.