Uncommon Ephemera's Mark O'Brien Featured in Make It Mid Century's March 2026 Newsletter

A mid-century home restoration newsletter introduces its readers to filmstrip preservation

JOHNSON CITY, NY - April 1, 2026 - Mark O'Brien, founder of the filmstrip preservation initiative Uncommon Ephemera, was featured in the March 2026 newsletter of Make It Mid Century, a St. Louis based business run by Susan Halla that sells restoration materials for mid-century modern homes. The interview covered how O'Brien got into filmstrip preservation and the state of the format today.

O'Brien described his unusual path into the work: "It was 1998 or 1999. I was dreaming of writing some angry music," he said, recalling how a search for obscure audio samples led him to a school district's filmstrip collection headed for the dumpster.

He also discussed the practical limits of the work today. "The decision is not often what I want to restore but what I can restore," he said, citing how many surviving filmstrips are missing either their soundtrack or a complete print. "Funding has been a huge issue," he added, noting that he currently works for DoorDash to cover expenses while filmstrips remain unscanned.

On why he preserves film or soundtracks even when a full restoration isn't possible, O'Brien said: "More information, more primary sources, is always better."

About Uncommon Ephemera

Uncommon Ephemera is a media preservation initiative focused on saving American educational and industrial filmstrips. All preserved materials are made freely available through the Internet Archive. For more information, visit uncommonephemera.org.

Links:

• Read the newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/makeitmidcentury/march_2026
• Make It Mid Century: https://makeitmidcentury.com/

Media Contact:

Mark O'Brien
[email protected]