Payson R. Stevens FIBEX/Vulcan Film Documentary Collection, 1981 (SMC 171)

OFF-SITE STORAGE: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Restrictions: Original audiorecording media are restricted. Sound recordings have been digitized and listening copies may be available for researchers. Film in series 3A is in poor condition, and no film has been digitized; inquire in advance to determine viewing accessibility.

Extent: 6 Linear feet (11 flat boxes, 1 shoebox, and 3 record cartons)

Documentary footage shot by Payson R. Stevens during Leg II of the FIBEX/Vulcan expedition (24 February to 28 March, 1981) in the Scotia Sea of Antarctica.

BIOMASS/FIBEX Programme

An international BIOMASS (Biological Investigations of Marine Antarctic Systems and Stocks) programme started in 1976. It arose from the growing interest of many countries in the living resources of the Southern Ocean - mainly krill, fishes, and squids. The BIOMASS programme was planned for 10 years and included oceanographic surveys, studies on krill and fish populations structure and fishery statistics, laboratory experiments on krill, bird and seal censuses.

The first part of the BIOMASS programme was the so-called FIBEX (First International BIOMASS Experiment) in 1981 - a joint, complex program of oceanographical studies of the Southern Ocean carried out by 13 vessels from 11 states.

(The above statements on BIOMASS and FIBEX are adapted from: Stanisław Rakusa-Suszczewski et al, Antarctic oceanobiological expeditions organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences, p. 63 [https://journals.pan.pl/Content/110832/PDF/1998-1-2_061-079.pdf])

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography participated in FIBEX with Vulcan-6 and Vulcan-7 surveys of the Scotia Sea (53°S to 60°S, 50°W to 33°W).

For information on Payson R. Stevens, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography alumni and filmmaker, please visit his website at: https://www.paysonrstevens.com.

Documentary footage shot by Payson R. Stevens during Leg II of the FIBEX/Vulcan expedition (24 February to 28 March, 1981) in the Scotia Sea of Antarctica. FIBEX was a large international study; the Scripps Institution of Oceanography was one participant, with Oz Holm-Hansen contributing as chief scientist for one leg aboard the R/V Melville. It includes photographic slides, sound recordings, and films. The slides are 35mm color slides arranged in 23 small groupings by subject, by Stevens. The sound recordings are associated with the film reels and include interviews, meetings, and ambient sounds. According to correspondence retained when this material was donated to the Library, the sound recordings "sync" with the films, but the numbering relationship between the two formats is unclear. Further investigation will be required to match sound reels to film reels.

The film is 16mm and includes all footage that was created for a future documentary, which was never made. Subjects include interviews with scientists, onboard research activities, animals, and Antarctic vistas, islands and scenery. Films are arranged in two subseries. The raw footage has little description and overall, those films are in poor condition and exhibiting vinegar syndrome. The "dailies" were created by Payson in August 1981 and are in much better condition. They appear to be compilations of original footage ("roll" numbers are cited on the inventory). A shot log was included with the original gift, but it is so brief and incomplete that it is not particularly helpful to identify subjects of each film, beyond what is included in the finding aid notes.

Arranged in three series: 1) SLIDES, 2) SOUND RECORDINGS, and 3) FILMS.

Container List

SLIDES

Box 1 Folder 1
Cape Horn; scientists; science meeting
Box 1 Folder 2
RV Meteor; Herwig fishing vessel; Seal Rock
Box 1 Folder 3
King George Island
Box 1 Folder 4
Krill; Elephant Island
Box 1 Folder 5
Birds; wandering albatross; skuas, petrels
Box 1 Folder 6
King George Island; Tobapilla Bay
Box 1 Folder 7
Elephant Island; Seal Island
Box 1 Folder 8
Storms; King George Island
Box 1 Folder 9
RV Melville
Box 1 Folder 10
Black browed albatross; icebergs
Box 1 Folder 11
Seal Island; Herwig
Box 1 Folder 12
Ice pack; King George Island
Box 1 Folder 13
Elephant Island; netting
Box 1 Folder 14
Icebergs; birds; RV Melville
Box 1 Folder 15
Cape Horn passage
Box 1 Folder 16
Birds; sunsets; RV Melville
Box 1 Folder 17
Beagle Passage; Captain Haines
Box 1 Folder 18
Deception Island
Box 1 Folder 19
Beagle Passage; icebergs
Box 1 Folder 20
Elephant Island; Seal Rocks
Box 1 Folder 21
King George Island
Box 1 Folder 22
Punta Arenas, Chile; Magellan Straits
Box 1 Folder 23
Cape Horn

SOUND RECORDINGS

Box 2 Folder 1
Roll #1

Tape for camera #4, August films FIBEX 2-28, Sci Meeting Aboard Meteor - time 00:22:26.

Box 2 Folder 2
Roll #2

Exposed aboard Meteor 3/28, Herwig 3/29 - time 00:12:41.

Box 2 Folder 3
Roll #2A

Wild sound, 1008-1010, 1015-1017. Herwig; Melville, HydroAC launch 3/1, Bongo launch 3/2 - time 02:33:36.

Box 2 Folder 4
Roll #3

Sound #101-116 Exposed - time 00:19:40.

Box 2 Folder 5
Roll #3

Exposed - Russians on radio - time 00:24:52.

Box 2 Folder 6
Roll #4

Wild sound, Storm noises/chain ship noises, Wild sound 3001-3014 - time 00:24:51.

Box 2 Folder 7
Roll #5

Exposed, Wild sound 3015-19, Sound 117 - time 00:14:41.

Box 2 Folder 8
Roll #6

Exposed, Sound 130-133, Microlab Farooq Azam & Jim - time 00:13:40.

Box 2 Folder 9
Roll #7

Exposed 3/19-Synch, Van lab 150-2, Comp. RM 153/4; Wild Main Lab discuss/USSR - time 00:24:47.

Box 2 Folder 10
Untitled

Exposed/FIBEX, Synch-172, Eric Schulenberger discussing MOCNESS Tank Series 3/22 - time 00:20:57.

Box 2 Folder 11
Untitled

Exposed FIBEX - time 00:24:52.

Box 2 Folder 12
Untitled

Exposed 3/21, Ed Briton - time 00:17:19.

Box 2 Folder 13
Untitled

Exposed 3/20 FIBEX - time 00:24:01.

Box 2 Folder 14
Untitled

Exposed 3/24, FIBEX TATO - time 00:23:41.

Box 2 Folder 15
Untitled

3/24 Exposed OZ interview, end with SD #208 - time 00:24:42.

Box 2 Folder 16
Untitled

3/25 Exposed OZ room group meeting - time 00:24:47.

Box 2 Folder 17
Untitled

3/25 Exposed OZ room (2) group meeting - time 00:24:50

Box 2 Folder 18
Untitled

3/25 Exp OZ group meeting (3) - time 00:16:41.

Box 2 Folder 19
Untitled

Exposed 3/26-6, end of science meeting (whales) & OHH on intercom - time 00:08:46.

FILMS

Raw Footage, 1981

Box 3
Film 1
Box 3
Film 2
Box 3
Film 3
Box 3
Film 4
Box 3
Film 5
Box 3
Film 6
Box 3
Film 7
Box 3
Film 8
Box 3
Film 9
Box 4
Film 10
Box 4
Film 11
Box 4
Film 12
Box 4
Film 13
Box 4
Film 14
Box 4
Film 15
Box 4
Film 16

"Voyage to Antarctica/Promo"

Box 4
Film 17

"August films: Antarctica"

Box 5
Film 18
Box 5
Film 19

"Screened rolls"

Box 5
Film 20
Box 5
Film 21
Box 5
Film 22
Box 5
Film 23

Film - Positive Dailies (19 reels)

Box 6
Reels 1-2

Reel 1 (Can Id "A"): Roll no. 1

Reel 2 (Can Id "A"): Roll nos. 2, 3, 4

Box 7
Reels 3-4

Reel 3 (Can Id "B"): Roll nos. 5-6

Reel 4 (Can Id "B"): Roll nos. 7, 8, 9

Box 8
Reels 5-6

Reel 5 (Can Id "C"): Roll nos. 10, 11

Reel 6 (Can Id "C"): Roll nos. 12, 13, 15

Box 9
Reels 7-8

Reel 7 (Can Id "D"): Roll nos. 16, 17

Reel 8 (Can Id "D"): Roll nos. 18, 19, 20

Box 10
Reels 7A and 17

Reel 7A (Can Id "J"): Roll nos. 15, 16, 17

Reel 17 (Can Id "J"): Roll nos. 43, 44, 45

Box 11
Reels 8A and 16A

Reel 8A (Can Id "E"): Roll nos. 1, 4

Reel 16A (Can Id "E"): Roll no. 32 plus end of "E"

Box 12
Reels 9-10

Reel 9 (Can Id "G"): Roll nos. 21, 22

Reel 10 (Can Id "G"): Roll nos. 23, 24, 25

Box 13
Reels 11-12

Reel 11 (Can Id "F"): Roll nos. 26, 27

Reel 12 (Can Id "F"): Roll nos. 26, 27

Box 14
Reels 13-14

Reel 13 (Can Id "H"): Roll nos. 3, 9, 12, 24, 25

Reel 14 (Can Id "H"): Roll nos. 30, 36, 37, 40, 42

Box 15
Reel 15

Reel 15 (Can Id "I"): Roll nos. 32, 33, 34