1894-1912: The Library of Congress accepts the deposit of paper prints, or photographs printed on paper rolls, for the purpose of copyright registration.
1912: New legislation on copyright permits the deposit of motion pictures as its own distinct art form. The Library of Congress discontinues its practice of accepting paper prints and permits descriptive written documentation on films (returning inherently flammable nitrate prints back to claimants) for the purpose of copyright registration.
1942: The Library of Congress resumes acquiring moving images for selected works considered historically significant.
1950: Acetate-based "safety" film is introduced, which replaces the highly flammable cellulose nitrate-based stock. Eastman Color film is also introduced, but is not a preservation medium. As a result, color films using the process would begin to fade over time.
1967: The American Film Institute (AFI) is created to advance the recognition of film as art form. The archival program is devised in collaboration with the Library of Congress.
1980s: Film director Martin Scorsese initiates a campaign addressing the problem of color fading in motion picture films.
1991: Eastman Kodak reveals that with inadequate storage, safety film is subject to deterioration and may have a shorter life span than nitrate.
2002: Moving Image Collections (MIC) is launched, an international union catalog and portal for discovery of moving images for education and research.