October 26, 2011

Lost and Found Films: Back to 1958 for ‘Operation Cooperation

This weeks Lost and Found film takes us back to 1958 and folks watching a street parade advertising “Ye Olde Town Meeting” at the Woodland High Gym on Sept. 2. Its a little slice of life from the Eisenhower years.

Called “Operation Cooperation,” this is a sepia-toned 16 mm. black and white film about three and a half minutes long. We see young people standing on a sidewalk as a parade of vintage (even for then) vehicles rolls by. Looks like Woodland was the place to be that Saturday night.

After more parade footage (including an arty-looking shot from inside a store), we see a woman show a man a pin and then attach it to his shirt pocket. He pays her, and then we see the buttons message up close: Operation Cooperation.

This is one of hundreds of reels of film that Hannah Palin, film archives specialist with UW Libraries Special Collections, is trying to identify for archiving purposes. She has film clips from the late 1930s through the 1970s — some from research projects, some from campus events and some from commercial films or original productions.

Palin would like to know where the parade was, what Operation Cooperation was, and more generally, what was going on in this oddly interesting footage. If you can answer these questions or provide any other information about the film, please write your comment below.

Oct. 20: Halftime Hijinx

Oct. 13: Lynn Poole speaks at Johns Hopkins (Originally thought to be the UWs Glenn Hughes.)

Oct. 6: Womens Classes, Circa 1965

Sept. 29: Coulee Cleanup, Outtakes

Aug. 18: Kazakh Reel 6

Aug. 4: UW Penthouse Circa 1956

July 27: The University District

July 21: Palo Alto Home

July 14: Aberdeen Gathering

July 6, Research at Sea

June 30: Campus Color, circa 1940-48