New York State Office of Public Health Education Motion Picture Photograph, Release, and Script files

Box one holds records dating 1948-1965. Box two holds records from the years 1955-1962.

This series contains materials created by the Photography Unit within the Department of Health. The Photography Unit was established in approximately 1948 to provide photographic resources for publications, exhibits, training aids, news releases, annual reports, and health training presentations. In 1975, the Photography Unit merged with the Public Health Education Unit which was later replaced by the Heath Education and Promotion Services Group within the Office of Public Health in 1977. In 1986, public health promotion activities were moved to the Public Affairs Group within the Bureau of Communications Production Services in the Department of Health's Executive Division.

The Motion picture photograph, release, and script files relate to educational films and television productions developed in an effort to promote awareness of disease prevention techniques. Records are comprised of photographic release forms for movies and television, film and television scripts, film stills, transparencies (some in color), negatives, photographs documenting the filming of productions, and a 1961 Annual Report from New York's Health Department. Photographs may have been published within Annual Reports and monthly publications such as Health News.

The records document actions taken to prevent disease as well as the efforts to physically create promotional productions. Photographs, production stills, sound recording logs, camera reports, scripts and photographic release forms document the act of producing promotional motion pictures.

Movies and television shorts identify topics of concern to the New York State Health Department during the late 1940s through the mid-1960s. Promotional movies and shorts present a variety of subjects including information regarding tuberculosis, water pollution, nurses' perspectives, narcotics use and medical advice for retired individuals.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.