Michael Holman Family Home Movie #19: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This film is from a collection of home movies filmed by the family of Michael Holman, an important figure in the history of hip hop. It consists of a single reel of 8mm silent acetate film with color (a), an original plastic film reel (b), and an original plastic cover (c).

The film begins with a series of shots of a group of people visiting the Garden of Ridvan, a Baha'i holy site, in Acre, Israel. Many of the shots depict the lush foliage of the garden. Next is a panning shot overlooking modern buildings in Haifa, Israel. This is followed by several shots of Ancient Roman ruins in an unidentified location. Several shots overlooking the Jerusalem skyline, a shot of some construction workers, and a shot of an unknown mosque follow. These are succeeded by multiple shot of the Russian Orthodox Convent and Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and a wide shot of the West Bank landscape. The film concludes with several shots overlooking the Dome of the Rock and the Jerusalem skyline.

An original white plastic film reel (b) with a brief content note and an original blue plastic film container (c) with Technicolor markings also accompany the film.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1968
• Created by: Pauline Thompson Wood, American, born 1901
• Owned by: Michael Holman, American, born 1955
• Subject of: Baha'i World Centre, founded 1909
• Type: silent films
• Type: home movies
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: Super 8
• Medium: acetate film and plastic
• Dimensions: Duration: 3 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 50 Feet
• Place depicted: Acre, Northern District, Israel, Middle East, Asia
• Place depicted: Haifa, Northern District, Israel, Middle East, Asia
• Place depicted: Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel, Middle East, Asia
• Place depicted: West Bank, Palestine, Asia
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Bahá'í faith
• Topic: Families
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Religion
• Topic: Travel
• Object number: 2016.31.3.19.1abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Michael Holman Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.