The Pan Am Historical Foundation has announced plans to donate its entire film archive to SFO Museum for preservation. This corporate film library, amassed by Pan American World Airways from its founding in 1927 through its dissolution in 1991, contains over 700 titles and hundreds of hours of footage spanning a period of more than 60 years.
The donation was announced last night by Edward S. Trippe, Chairman of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and son of Pan Am founder Juan T. Trippe, at a gala dinner hosted by the San Francisco Aeronautical Society (SFAS), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and appreciation of aviation history. Edward S. Trippe co-founded the Pan Am Historical Foundation in 1990 and served as its first president. Along with the collection, Trippe also announced a $100,000 donation from the Pan Am Historical Foundation toward funding the preservation effort. SFAS President John L. Martin also announced a commitment to raise another $100,000 donation to match the donation of the Pan Am Historical Foundation.
“We are excited to partner with the San Francisco Aeronautical Society and SFO Museum to ensure the preservation of this collection of Pan Am films,” said Chairman of the Pan Am Historical Foundation Ed Trippe. “The SFO Museum has demonstrated its commitment to making the rich history of aviation accessible and enjoyable for all, and we are excited to share the story of Pan Am as told through this extensive collection of film.”
“The Pan Am film collection is a veritable treasure trove of aviation history,” said SFAS President and retired Airport Director John L. Martin. “Pan Am paved the way for air travel as we know it today, and this film collection tells their story of courage, innovation, and leadership. We are grateful for this generous donation and look forward to making this content available for the public to enjoy.”
From its launch in 1927, Pan Am made use of the burgeoning field of film to promote its aircraft, destinations, and facilities and services. Many of these were shown as short features in movie theaters. Over the years, Pan Am productions would also include training and technical films and television advertisements, and the collection even includes home movies from Pan Am employees and passengers.
