Welcome to the Media History Digital Library

We are a non-profit initiative dedicated to digitizing collections of classic media periodicals that belong in the public domain for full public access. The project is supported by owners of materials who loan them for scanning, and donors who contribute funds to cover the cost of scanning. We have currently scanned over 200,000 pages, and that number is growing.

Our Collections feature Extensive Runs of several important trade papers and fan magazines. Click on the arrows below to learn more about these periodicals and select volumes to download and read. You’ll find more material and options at our Collections page.

Business Screen (1938-1973)

The Film Daily (1918-1936)

International Photographer (1929-1941)

Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (1950-1954)

The Educational Screen (1922-1962)

Moving Picture World (1912-1918)

    Description

      Moving Picture World was one of the most influential trade papers of the early motion picture industry and the period film historians call cinema’s “transitional era” (lasting roughly from 1908 to 1917). During this era and inside the paper, you can watch the transition from short film programs to feature films and witness the transition from the dominance of Edison’s Trust to the rise of the “Independent” film companies that ultimately became the Hollywood studios. Scanned from the collections of Eileen Bowser and Robert S. Birchard. Funded by Richard Scheckman and an Anonymous donation in memory of Carolyn Hauer.

    1912

    1913

    1914

    1915

    1916

    1917

      Jan-Mar 1917. Vol 31 | Coming Soon
      Apr-Jun 1917. Vol 32 | Read | Download | IA Page
      Jul-Sep 1917. Vol 33 | Coming Soon
      Oct-Dec 1917. Vol 34 | Coming Soon
    1918

      Jan-Mar 1918. Vol 35 | Read | Download | IA Page
      Apr-Jun 1918. Vol 36 | Coming Soon
      Jul-Sep 1918. Vol 37 | Coming Soon
      Oct-Dec 1918. Vol 38 | Coming Soon
Photoplay (1917-1940)

Radio Age: Research, Manufacturing, Communications, Broadcasting, Television (1942-1957)

    Description

      Radio Age was published by RCA – the Radio Corporation of America – to promote current and future technological developments and major programming events on NBC. Despite the title’s reference to radio, the emphasis throughout is on the future promise of television. Digitized by the Prelinger Library.
    Oct 1942-Jul 1945. Vol 2-4 | Read | Download | IA Page
    Oct 1945-Jul 1948. Vol 5-7 | Read | Download | IA Page
    Oct 1948-Jul 1950. Vol 8-9 | Read | Download | IA Page
    Oct 1950-Oct 1952. Vol 10-11 | Read | Download | IA Page
    Jan 1953-Oct 1954. Vol 12-13 | Read | Download | IA Page
    Jan 1955-Oct 1957. Vol 14-16 | Read | Download | IA Page
Radio Broadcast (1922-1930)

Magazine of the Week

Film Fun (May 1922) — The Shooting Stars Game

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