he Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM) houses a treasure trove of old 16 mm films and VHS tapes depicting the history of the specialty of anesthesiology over the last century, as told by the giants of our specialty. Examples of these classic films include “Signs and Stages of Anesthesia” from 1945 with I.W. Magill, “Ether Analgesia for Cardiac Surgery” with Joseph Artusio, M.D., and “Pulse of Life” from 1975, detailing the story of artificial respiration and artificial circulation by Peter Safar, M.D.

Pulse of Life. Image courtesy of Wood Library-Museum Archival Film collection, 1975.

Joseph F. Artusio, M.D., (left), from film “Ether Analgesia for Cardiac Surgery.” Image courtesy of Wood Library-Museum Archival Film collection 1985, circa 1950s.

Left to right, Theodore H. Stanley, M.D., Ronald D. Miller, M.D. Image courtesy of Wood Library-Museum Archival Film collection,1985.

As is true with all media formats, however, these films and tapes will not last forever. With deterioration, two disastrous possibilities could occur. First is the loss of the images altogether, and second, as the celluloid deteriorates, it exposes the storage area to a combustion risk. The WLM Board of Trustees has long recognized the need to preserve these priceless films and convert them to a digital format.

After researching various companies dealing with digitization, WLM accepted a proposal from Digital Transfer, Inc., to begin the process of transferring a portion of some 145,000 feet of film in 185 titles to DVD. The cost of this project will be supported by WLM, by a generous donation from the Greater Atlanta Society of Anesthesiologists and the John W. Pender, M.D., Education Trust. Future plans for the preservation of our media format also include the transfer of 150 VHS tapes to DVD.

The WLM Board of Trustees recognizes the great value of this preservation project that will ensure the long-term security of our priceless collection.

Mary Ellen Warner, M.D., is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.