Video History Project

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Jim Lindner

Jim Lindner, President of VidiPax, has 30 years of experience with audio and video production and preservation of magnetic media. In 1991, the Andy Warhol Foundation asked Jim Lindner to help them play back some O" videotapes that artist Andy Warhol recorded in the 1970s. Warhol constantly recorded the comings and goings of what he called his Factory, and these tapes had irreplaceable images of the leading artists and celebrities of the time. At first Jim thought that it was a simple mechanical problem with the aged videotape recorders.

But as he worked with the problem, he found that the magnetic tapes were disintegrating and their images were in danger of being lost forever. He spent the next two years developing techniques to save the entire Warhol collection. To share his knowledge and help save other endangered libraries and archives, Jim Lindner founded VidiPax(tm). For his pioneer efforts Jim won a number of awards, including the prestigious Anthology Film Archives Preservation Award - the first such award ever given in the field of magnetic media preservation. He has subsequently published many articles in leading video and audio magazines and has given seminars at many professional associations, universities, and museums. In the spring of 1996, Jim Lindner testified as a key witness and panel member before the Library of Congress concerning the growing crisis facing magnetic tape.

Cite this record

"Jim Lindner." Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2011. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/jim-lindner.

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Summary

Jim Lindner, President of VidiPax, has 30 years of experience in audio and video production and preservation of magnetic media; in 1991 the Andy Warhol Foundation asked him to help play back videotapes Warhol recorded in the 1970s, and he spent the next two years developing techniques to save the disintegrating collection. He founded VidiPax to share preservation knowledge and assist endangered libraries and archives; he received awards including the Anthology Film Archives Preservation Award and has published articles and given seminars at professional associations, universities, and museums. In spring 1996 Lindner testified as a key witness and panel member before the Library of Congress concerning the growing crisis facing magnetic tape.

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Last modified 18 June 2011

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