Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Archives separate it because a fire could spread through a collection. The figure is taken from George Eastman Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a movies & tv fact?

Yes. It sits on the Movies & TV shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Nitrate film is stored in isolated vaults

Archives separate it because a fire could spread through a collection Nitrate stock decomposes and can self-ignite, so archives keep it in separate, fire-resistant vaults away from other holdings, often with specialised ventilation and temperature control. Some collections duplicate nitrate onto safety stock so the content survives even if the original is lost. Cold, dry storage also slows chemical decay. It sits in Mondo's movies & tv collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

George Eastman Museum

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Movies & Television trivia Science trivia

More facts like this

Early cinema film was dangerously flammableNitrate stock could burn underwater and its fires killed people Old film can decay into vinegarAcetate stock releases acetic acid as it breaks down over time The Prelinger Archives collects everyday filmIts stock footage shows streets, work and travel rather than stars Archives keep projectors for long dead formatsA print in 9.5mm or 28mm is unplayable without a machine built for it Digital masters need copying every few yearsDrives fail and file formats go obsolete, so archives rewrite their holdings Safety film replaced nitrate in the 1950sAcetate stock burned slowly, though it decayed into vinegar over time

Tags: preservation, nitrate, archives

Nitrate film is stored in isolated vaults: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Archives separate it because a fire could spread through a collection. The figure is taken from George Eastman Museum, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a movies & tv fact?: Yes. It sits on the Movies & TV shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.