The Paschoal Nardone Collection
The General Archive of the City of Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with Google and the Audiovisual Preservation University Lab at the Fluminense Federal University (LUPA/UFF), digitized 125 rolls of film produced between 1920 and 1940.
Rare collection finally digitized
A treasure safeguarded for decades by the General Archive of the City, the Paschoal Nardone Collection was finally digitized and is now being introduced to the public. With more than 2,000 meters of film, the collection includes images of Rio de Janeiro from the 1920s to the 1940s.
History of the city and visual culture in focus
Beyond the images of public events, the collection also comprises home movies, documentaries, and fictional movies. From everyday scenes to military events and religious celebrations, there are a total of 126 films in the collection.
Fotograma (2013)General Archive of Rio de Janeiro City
Before, stills. Now, films
What were once simply stills from films are now everyday scenes, visible in digital films, all set in Rio de Janeiro.
Processo de digitalizaçãoGeneral Archive of Rio de Janeiro City
Digitizing the films
9.5 mm film being digitized by LUPA: This gauge was the first one that became popular among people who filmed videos informally, at home, or for non-professional purposes.
Cleaning process
Before being digitized using a scanner, all the rolls of 9.5 mm film were manually checked to allow for cleaning and repair of any physical damage.
Dialogues between the moving and still images
The iconographic, cartographic, and written collections of the General Archive of the City will be used to complement the images from the Paschoal Nardone collection in these digital exhibitions. This photograph from Augusto Malta is an example. Next to the film, it will provide yet another perspective on the 1925 rip current.
The dismantling of the Morro do Castelo, families in the Paris Square, a dance contest in the old Beira-Mar Theater Casino, the 1928 carnival, the house of Castro Maya in Alto da Boa Vista, and even fictional films. The variety of the images is a hallmark of the Paschoal Nardone collection.
Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Eduardo Paes
Secretary of State
Eduardo Cavaliere
General Archive of the City of Rio de Janeiro
Rosa Maria Araujo
Documentation Center
Maria Thereza Kahl Fonseca
Curatorship and editing
Conrado Werneck Pimentel
Text revision
Pedro Paulo Malta
Interns
Luísa da Costa de Oliveira and Marcelle Araujo Lins
Film digitization
LUPA/UFF - University Laboratory for Audiovisual Preservation
