THANHOUSER PRESERVES FAMILY HISTORY
Published by Intel Corp, Copyright © 2000, All Rights Reserved.

Ned Thanhouser, director of market development in the Enterprise Server Group at the CO campus, will present a program on the Thanhouser film enterprise Jan. 28 at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY. 

From Automatic Vaudeville to the Seventh Art is the most comprehensive survey of silent cinema ever presented from the Musuem's collections. This six-month series spans the entire history of the medium from its earliest incarnation as a peepshow parlor attraction to automatic vaudeville and continues through the years of experimentation and consolidation  (1908-1917) to its great maturity in the 1920s. More information can be found at <http://www.moma.org/filmvideo>.

In 1909 after a successful turn-of-the-century career in theatre, Ned's grandparents, Gertrude and Edwin Thanhouser, decided to enter the new field of motion pictures. The Thanhouser Company was one of the pioneering independent film companies of that era and the first to be headed by someone with a background in theatre. It released over 1,000 silent films to worldwide distribution between 1910 and 1917 from its headquarters in New Rochelle, NY.
 
Ned has been actively involved in film preservation since 1986 when he learned that no one in his family had actually seen a Thanhouser film. 

“My father told us that after the company shut down in 1918, Edwin was presented with a sizable bill for the storage of the nitrate film negatives. ‘Bah, they are worthless, burn ‘em’ was his response. So, we grew up thinking all the Thanhouser films had gone up in smoke!”

But, film archives and private collectors around the world had saved copies because of their artistic and historical value. No one knew, however, where they were located. Ned’s interest in "digging" up family history and finding surviving films led him to a 14-year quest that continues today.  

In 1995 he formed a non-profit company to locate films, assure preservation and educate the public about the rich history of the Thanhouser film enterprise. As a result, of the over 1,000 silent films produced by Thanhouser he has located 182 surviving films and 15 color posters used to promote them.

His company, Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc., has produced a three-volume, 13-film video collector's set, Thanhouser Classics: Volumes I, II and III. With the support of Intel, he developed a CD-ROM, Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History written by noted historian Q. David Bowers. 

The company has remained a family passion and the next generation of Thanhouser’s is getting involved. His four boys all help out and learning about their heritage.  Spencer (15) is the “director” of manufacturing, he places the labels on the video cases; Ed (17) is the “director” of sales for the videos and CD-ROMs. Bill (13) and Mike (12) are the Thanhouser “sales team”!

What's next for Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc.? Ned is currently producing another three-volume video set and a DVD as he continues to find more films and share them with the public. 

For more information visit http://www.thanhouser.org.