John A. Craft Moving Image Collection

Archive

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Montauk Library Archives

Name/Title

John A. Craft Moving Image Collection

Entry/Object ID

ARC.2647

Scope and Content

A collection of 36 home movies shot by John A. Craft from the 1940s to the 1960s in Montauk on 16 mm film. John A. Craft moved to Montauk in the 1940s from Brooklyn to head construction for the U.S. Navy’s torpedo-testing station on Fort Pond Bay. He later opened John A. Craft Real Estate and Insurance on Main Street in Montauk. Of the 25 films donated to the Montauk Library by the Craft family, more than half depict scenes of Montauk’s businesses, homes, shorelines, boat rides, and storms. A slow pan of Fort Pond’s shoreline shows an undeveloped wetland, the brick tower administration building standing tall among the lush grasslands surrounding downtown. Moving images of construction and unfinished residences portray a new layer of development after Carl Fisher. Places include the Surf Club, Montauk Downs Golf Course, Church of the Little Flower, Montauk Community Church, Hither Hills, Lake Montauk Inlet, Block Island Sound, Old Montauk Highway, downtown Montauk, and the Montauk Airport among others.

Archive Details

Creator

John A. Craft

Date(s) of Creation

1940 - 1967

Archive Size/Extent

1 box

Restrictions

The collection is open for research and can be used within the library under the supervision of the archivist. Contact archives@montauklibrary.org to schedule a research appointment.

Primary Language

English

Acquisition

Acquisition Method

Gift

Acquired From

John C. Craft

Copyright

Type of License

In copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Copyright Details

Researchers assume all responsibility for copyright questions. Fair use is permitted. For all other uses please contact archives@montauklibrary.org.