The National Library of Norway's extensive collection contains a number of gems. One of the finds in the collection has now received international recognition. An American silent film from 1896, long thought to be lost, has been selected as part of America's national film heritage.
The movie is called The Tramp and the Dog and was found in the National Library's archive in Mo i Rana in 2021. The discovery came as a surprise, even to professionals. The film had been preserved in Norway for more than 120 years, without anyone knowing its significance.
The film is a short silent film and was made in the USA in the very early days of cinema. It is considered the first commercial feature film produced in Chicago.
The preservation of film in Norway is linked to how films were shown and distributed at the end of the 19th century. Traveling cinemas and early film screenings meant that films were often sent between countries. Some of these were later preserved in archives, including in Norway.
In the US, the film is now included in the National Film Registry, which is managed by the Library of Congress. Each year, a small number of films are selected that are considered to have great historical or cultural value.
