Dating to the 1960s, this silent black-and-white footage is likely part of an industrial film or documentary. It documents the everyday people working at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). More specifically, the film sheds light on the FBI under the directorship of J. Edgar Hoover and the role of women who helped the FBI run. The film pays particular attention to highlighting the women secretaries, phone operators, and receptionists and the technology they use to do their jobs. In 1948, 30% of FBI employees were women working in roles as secretaries, file clerks, radio operators, fingerprint examiners, or lab technicians. Occasionally, some women would assist with surveillance missions, however, they were not allowed to be special agents until after FBI Drector J. Edgar Hoover’s death in 1972.
Film opens, group of men and women (predominantly women) sit in large room filled with rows and rows of desks listen to male presenter/ lecturer standing at podium (0:07). Woman sits down at desk with large computer system, typewriter, probably using a Dictograph; Another woman uses “Addressograph class 5000” (c.1950) to apply addresses to envelopes (0:55). Close-up of paper that had gone through machine of wanted poster for Frank Lee Morris including fingerprints, photo of criminal (1:59). Woman uses photocopy machine (2:07). Another woman uses a mimeograph machine (2:44). Woman uses automated printer, logo appears to have been derived from Buddhist symbolism – seated Buddha with eight arms Avalokiteshvara (3:00). Film photography development lab: Woman in white jacket uses photographic enlarger (perhaps Omega D-6 Pro-Lab Enlarger), develops photograph using chemical bath (3:12). Camera closes in on faces of young women, men attending training session in classroom, POV shot of lecturer from one of desks in classroom (4:00). Filing and organizational systems: Rows and rows of shelves with records, case files; Filing cabinets of cards with information on where certain records are located (7:16). Women stand in front of shelves used for reorganizing and re-shelving files by placing papers and files into corresponding bins and shelves (8:50). Female phone operator sits at switchboard, monitors calls (10:58). Man monitors radio communications system, relays messages using telegraph key (11:40). TMC Transmitter GPT-750 sending Morse code (12:09). Teletype machine (12:25). Teleprinter machine, close-up of punched tape as it is printed out of machine (12:47). Firearms Vault: Pistols in glass display case, multiple perhaps Thompson Submachine Gun Model 28A hung on wall, target practice poster with bullet holes (13:07). Woman in 1960s-shift dress sits at desk and spins through rotating filing system (15:06). Secretary takes notes at meeting, later types up notes on typewriter (likely CDC 160 System) (15:39). The mail room: Women sort letters, files into cabinets with corresponding names (17:49). Room of female secretaries sitting at desks, typing away on type writers (19:03). Receptionist sits at front desk with official seal for FBI, poster of then director of FBI J. Edgar Hoover (19:45). Sequence of scenes of secretaries conferencing with each other, taking notes for “bosses”/ men of office (21:08). FBI Official Seal hanging on wall (23:23). Group of men in dress shirts sit around table counting, organizing briefcase full of money; Close-ups of bills (hundred dollar bills) organized into piles and stacked (23:45). Briefcase opened, various models of 35mm SLR cameras (Nikon F), Series 1 Hasselblad camera (28:57). Bills organized on table, denominations of $50 (President Ulysses S. Grant), 500 (William McKinley), 1000 (Alexander Hamilton) (29:25). Men in suits stand around table and thoroughly investigate camera equipment, money; Perhaps used for undercover mission (30:32). Woman visits nurse at infirmary (31:04). Camera zooms in and out of FBI emblem Film ends (33:09).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
