The Ynchausti Audiovisual Collection

The Ynchausti audiovisual collection includes work by Manuel María de Ynchausti Romero (Manila, 1900 - Ustaritz 1961) and his son, Antonio María de Ynchausti Larrauri (Manila, 1931 - [Ustaritz, 2018]). The original initiative to recover this private archive came from the University of the Basque Country's NOR research group, with backing from researchers Josu Martínez and Josu Amezaga, in partnership with Gastibeltza Films and with support from the Basque Government.

The idea was to transfer the material to the Basque Film Library for study and research. Three students from the postgraduate course in Archive and Conservation of Audiovisual Heritage at the Elías Querejeta Film School (EQZE) joined the team from the university to document and supervise the process of transporting the archive, which had previously been kept stored in the attic of the Ynchausti family home in Ustaritz (Labourd).

As part of this collaboration, the EQZE team analysed the content of the collection and assessed its current state of conservation, with the aim of drawing up a preliminary inventory and a technical report. The collection was found to consist mainly of cellulose acetate films in sub-standard formats (8, 9.5 and 16 mm) although there were also a significant number of 35 mm films on nitrate, some partially coloured. The collection also included the cameras and projectors used for each of these formats, together with a range of associated accessories (optics, cleaning cases, oil, etc.). In addition, there is a smaller number of photographs (on glass and paper), photo albums and colour slides. As well as the materials produced by the Ynchaustis themselves, the collection also contains educational material on photochemical film (the so-called 35 mm ‘fixed films’) on a range of subjects (anatomy, botany, catechism, etc.), as well as a small collection of commercial films in Super 8.

Finally, the home movies were transported from the collection to the Basque Film Library and a detailed technical report was published, containing the results of the investigation of the current condition of the collection, the preliminary inventory and an intervention protocol for cleaning, classification, conditioning and digitisation.

Research team:
Josu Amezaga, Josu Martínez (EHU-UPV)

Students 2018-2019:
Anna Ferrer, Lucía Ferreyra, Nerea Ganzarain

Related institutions:
Universidad del País Vasco (Grupo NOR), Gobierno Vasco, Filmoteca Vasca, Gastibeltza Filmak

Timeframe:
July 2019 - August 2019