William S. Cohen papers
" " introduction collection overview private papers United States House United States Senate audiovisual materials department of defense
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_ former cohen staff

Former Cohen staff members help to identify photos in the Archives

Photographs & Memorabilia, 1955-1997.

This record group consists of photographs of Cohen with family members, VIPs, constituents and colleagues. Several hundred negatives produced by the Senate Photo Studio are also included. Memorabilia consists of plaques, trophies, honorary degrees, and other tokens of esteem which were given to Cohen from constituents, universities, corporations, and other institutions and associations.

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_ Cohen at a press conference

Senator Cohen at a press conference c. 1990

Audiovisual Materials, 1972-2001.

Records in this group encompass Cohen's career in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate and the Department of Defense. Included here are 755 videocassette recordings of Cohen's speeches, television interviews, his own radio and television broadcasts, and his statements from the floor of the House and the Senate. Also included are 16 mm. film reels, audiocassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes and early videotape formats, created to communicate information about Cohen and the issues and events with which he was involved. Original film, video and audio elements used to create election campaign advertisements form the core of the collections, while the majority of the VHS tapes are reference copies documenting his activities in other broadcast venues. 

The audiovisual materials are divided into three series by format and arranged within each series by function.  Film reels comprise approximately 65,000 ft. from 1972 to 1984 of silent and sound 16 mm. film as original shots for ads and completed television spots.  Audio recordings on 12 cassettes and 63 reels from 1972 to 1992 reflect similar campaign material as well as some of Cohen's own radio broadcasts for constituents in Maine.  Videotapes are grouped by format:  2-inch wide tapes are 21 reels of campaign ads from 1974 and 1978 with reference copies on DVD and VHS; 1-inch wide tapes (41) from 1983 to 1991, 3/4 in. wide Umatic (46) from 1974 to 2001,  and Betacam tapes (57) from 1989 to1999 are a combination of original campaign footage, news clips and duplication masters for campaign materials in film; and VHS tapes (755) are reference/viewing copies organized into categories such as campaign, speeches, hearings, interviews, news clips, floor statements and Department of Defense.

These materials are fully described in onsite finding aids.

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