Browse the library

Historic footage of the first manned moon landing in 1969.

Classic civil defense film teaching children how to protect themselves during a nuclear attack.

D.W. Griffith's biography of the beloved U.S. president.

Pare Lorentz's landmark documentary on the Dust Bowl, preserved by the National Archives. Public domain.

Civil defense film arguing that a clean, well-maintained house survives a nuclear blast. Classic Cold War educational short.

A mid-century promotional film on American industrial design. Public domain.

A surreal musical fantasy of futuristic kitchens and cars, shown at the 1956 Motorama. Public domain.

The first Why We Fight film, explaining the causes of the Second World War. U.S. government work, public domain.

Atomic attack safety instruction for schoolchildren. Classic Cold War educational film.

Post-war guidance on making the most of free time. Public domain.

Lorentz's documentary on the Mississippi and American land use, with music by Virgil Thomson. Public domain.

Social guidance film on personal appearance and grooming. Public domain.

A look ahead at highways, suburbs and the post-war American road. Public domain.