Alan F. Lewis began his public broadcasting career at WEDU-TV, Tampa, Florida, in 1963 as a producer and director. He was named director of programming in 1967. Lewis then worked for the Public Television Library from 1973 to 1983 in a variety of positions. Between 1973 and 1977, he was Supervisor of Acquisitions; from 1977 through 1978, he was Manager of the Public Television Library at the Public Broadcasting Service. In 1979, he became director of Broadcast and Archive Services at the Public Television Library. Finally, in 1980, he was named Director of the Public Television Archives. The collection documents Alan Lewis' career in public broadcasting and his consulting work with the Museum of Modern Art.
Dates
1955-1991 and undated
Majority of material found within 1963-1971
Use and Access to Collection
This collection is open for research use.
Duplication and Copyright Information
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials page for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
The Alan F. Lewis papers cover the years 1963 to 1991, with the bulk of the collection ranging from 1963 to 1971. Program listings and Flexible Catalogs represent Lewis' career in public broadcasting while memos and other correspondence highlight Lewis' consulting activities at the Museum of Modern Art.
Biography
Alan Lewis began his professional career at WEDU-TV, Tampa, Florida, in 1963 as a producer and director. Between 1965 and 1967 he was also Coordinator of Programming Planning and Operations. Lewis held these two positions until 1967, when he was named Director of Programming at WEDU.
From September, 1973, through April, 1983, Lewis worked for the Public Television Library in a variety of positions. Between 1973 and 1977, he was Supervisor of Acquisitions; from 1977 through 1978, he was Manager of the Public Television Library at the Public Broadcasting Service. In 1979, he became director of Broadcast and Archive Services at the Public Television Library. Finally, in 1980, he was named Director of the Public Television Archives.
Moving from public to commercial broadcasting, Alan Lewis became Director of the Film and Videotape Archive at CBS News, New York City, in 1983. He held this post until 1987.
Lewis left CBS in 1987 to become an independent media preservation consultant. Lewis worked with the Christian Science Publishing Society to establish a news videotape archive, the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation employed Lewis to help with videotape preservation, and he advised the Oregon Historical Society on television newsfilm preservation.
One of Lewis' largest consulting projects was for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Lewis was employed by their Department of Film Archives to search out a suitable location for a Moving Image Preservation Facility in central Pennsylvania.
Lewis has been involved in numerous conferences and workshops since 1981 including the Archivists Roundtable of Metropolitan New York, 1984 and 1991, and the Smithsonian Institution Staff Seminar of September 1987.
Since 1991, Lewis has been Assistant Branch Chief/Supervisory Audiovisual Specialist of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He has written several articles, including "Preservation of Magnetic Media" for the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. He also wrote "Fast Rewind: The Archaeology of the Moving Image."
Arrangement
Organized as seven series.
Series 1: National Educational Television Materials
Series 2: National Educational Television Program Descriptions
Series 3: Operations Department Program Books
Series 4: Public Television Archives Material
Series 5: Books and Promotional Material
Series 6: Oral History Interviews
Series 7: Museum of Modern Art Consulting Materials
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
The Alan F. Lewis papers were donated to the University of Maryland at College Park in five installments between December of 1991 and July of 1994.
