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Nevada Site Office Current Film Library
A large number of films depicting the historical as well as the
current activities of the Nevada Test Site are available to the public.
Films regarding current activities are located in the
Current archives. Nuclear weapons test
films and other historical films are located in the
Historical archives.
Historical Nuclear Weapons Test Films
The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense,
declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons
program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the
films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These
films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons,
starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New
Mexico in July 1945. This is the first time the films have ever been
edited for declassification and public release. (Portions of some of
these films were previously released.)
The project was being carried out in conjunction with the Department of
Energy's Albuquerque Operations Office, the Department of Energy's
Office of Defense Programs, and the Department of Defense. The purpose
of the project is to preserve and declassify the information contained
in the large collection of films on the nuclear weapons program that are
at various sites on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have identified
numerous films that document the early history of the nuclear weapons
program, principally its nuclear weapons testing program. It is
anticipated it will take the Department of Energy 5 to 7 years to
complete. Annual funding for this effort will be based upon the public’s
expressed interest.
Throughout the nuclear era, the various agencies of the Federal
Government documented their activities on celluloid film. The films were
used for various purposes including providing information to the public,
training, and for analysis of the effects of the weapons tests. Many of
these films have been lost or destroyed. Others have been stored under
conditions less than ideal for preservation. The DOE’s Albuquerque
Operations Office is currently engaged in transferring these old,
deteriorating films, many of which are marked as classified, to digital
data (Betacam) and stored on videotapes to capture the information
before it is lost.
The Historical Nuclear Weapons Test films which have been declassified
can be ordered from the Nuclear Testing Archive for a fee. Use the
Historical Test Film Order Form to order historical films.
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