Lights. Camera. Action! It's not surprising that almost as soon as motion picture technology became popular, America's majestic national parks featured in cinematic productions. Both professional and amateur photographers experimented with the new motion picture cameras leading to new markets and products. The value of this new medium for publicity and public education was quickly recognized by Stephen T. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service (NPS).
Indeed, around 1924, Mather purchased his own Bell and Howell 16mm Cine camera and Film Cine projector. In 1926 he used the camera to document his four-month inspection tour of national parks. In October of that year he engaged photographer Mode Wineman and filmmaker William Horsely, director of William Horsely Film Laboratories in Hollywood, for what was billed as the “most comprehensive publicity program for national parks ever attempted, using moving pictures as a means of graphically showing their wonder to people in every part of the country.” The October 6, 1926, article in the Pasadena Star-News went on to note, "Films taken in the big publicity program will be official and will have the personal sanction of Director Mather in each case before being released." The films were part of an educational campaign to familiarize Americans with their national parks and, in particular, for use in schools.
The NPS History Collection includes many 16mm films from early efforts to publicize the parks as well as those created as the film industry and NPS filmmaking matured. Recent projects have digitized some of them. More will be added below as they become available. In the meantime, grab your popcorn and step back in time!
If you have questions about any of these films please contact the NPS History Collection archivist.
Note that many historic films feature people feeding or closely approaching wildlife. This is not acceptable today. Never feed wildlife and stay a safe distance from all animals.
Stephen Tyng Mather Film Collection
A selection of films from NPS Director Mather's personal collection are available below. To learn more about all the films in this collection, visit Guide to the Stephen Tyng Mather Collection.
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Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Mather's Travels, 1925-1926
Silent black-and-white film. Leaving Pasadena, California, on October 6, 1926, after a four-month tour of national parks; images of Mather's car; meeting with Mode Wineman and William Horsely; a Native American at General Grant National Park; Grand Canyon; Mather feeding a bison calf at Yellowstone National Park; road construction; opening of the General's Highway on September 5, 1925; West Yellowstone ranger station; and a railroad bus. Horace M. Albright and other NPS employees in uniform are included.
- Duration:
- 13 minutes, 24 seconds
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Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Crown Prince of Sweden Visit, 1926
Silent black-and-white film of the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden visiting Yellowstone National Park on July 2, 1926. The party visited a bison round up. Stephen T. Mather and Horace M. Albright can both be seen. Still images taken in Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, and Mesa Verde national parks are included and described by intertitles. It was created by Frank M. Warren of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1927. This film is no longer in copyright. Digitized from the original film in the NPS History Collection.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 1 second
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Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Moose at Isle Royale, 1926
Silent black-and-white film “Moose at Isle Royale (A Michigan Game Reserve).” Documents male, female, and juvenile moose feeding and swimming in the water (some scenes filmed from a boat on the water). Copyright 1926 by Frank M. Warren, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The copyright on this film has expired.
- Duration:
- 16 minutes, 3 seconds
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Stephen T. Mather Collection: Western Trip, August-September 1928
Silent black-and-white film. Part of a western trip taken by NPS Director Stephen T. Mather with his daughter, Bertha Floy Mather. This trip followed Bertha Mather's graduation from Vassar College. During the trip they visited Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, Sequoia, and Yosemite. At Yosemite, they took a horseback trip up the Merced River to the Merced Lake ranger station, over the 10,000-foot Vogelsang Pass, and down to Tuolumne Meadows.
- Duration:
- 12 minutes, 12 seconds
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Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Yosemite, October 1927
Silent black-and-white film of NPS director Stephen T. Mather addressing a group of employees at the Yosemite administration building and walking around the park with a small group of men. Scenes of people feeding bears outside the Ahwahnee Hotel dining room follow. Reminder: Never approach or feed wildlife.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 57 seconds
Other NPS History Collection Films
These films feature many national parks and cover a wide range of topics related to NPS history.-
Glimpses of National Parks and Monuments of New Mexico, ca. 1938-1942
Silent color film featuring photography by NPS Naturalist Natt N. Dodge who created many of the earliest NPS color films. Park signs serve to identify Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Capulin Volcano, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Aztec Ruins, Chaco Canyon, Bandelier, Gran Quivira, El Morro, and Fort Union scenes. Subjects include flowering plants, visitors, rangers, buildings, pueblos, geology, and historic graffiti. Date estimated from Dodge's similar films and time at NPS Southwest National Monuments.
- Duration:
- 17 minutes, 5 seconds
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NPS Western Museum Laboratories, 1938
Silent black-and-white film with some color scenes depicting the work done by the NPS Western Museum Laboratories. Created by the NPS to advertise the lab's services to parks and the Washington Office. Filmed in early 1938, it does not include silkscreen poster making, which started later that year. Demonstrates services such as exhibit planning; making dioramas, museum cabinets, relief maps, and signs; photographic services including hand-coloring lantern slides; mimeographing; book repair; and others.
- Duration:
- 20 minutes, 58 seconds
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Women's Uniform Unveiling, 1970
Silent color B-roll of the public unveiling of the new NPS women's uniforms at Independence National Historical Park on June 27, 1970. The models are NPS employees Carole Scanlon, Marion Riggs, Louise Boggs, Ellen Lang, and Elaine Hounsell, as well as wives of NPS employees Inger Garrison and Helen Hartzog. Filmed by Associated Film Consultants, Inc. This film remains in copyright and is provided for non-commercial research purposes only. All users must comply with US copyright laws.
- Duration:
- 6 minutes, 51 seconds
Explore More!
Looking for something else? Our NPS History Collection finding aids are available to help with your research.
Last updated: July 2, 2025