Film Collection Volume One

In 2014, the BPA Library released the first collection of BPA-produced films from the agency’s archives. The DVD set, titled “BPA Film Collection Volume One, 1939-1954,” is a compilation of films from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. It includes three of BPA's most notable films: “Hydro” (1939); “The Columbia: America’s Greatest Power Stream” (1949), the most famous BPA-produced film, which features songs balladeer Woody Guthrie composed while working for BPA in 1941; and “Highline” (1950), about the building of the Northwest electric transmission system.

The collection also includes three feature films about the Columbia Power System and the Pacific Northwest in transition: “Power Builds Ships” (1942), about the World War II ship-building industry in the Northwest; “25,000 Volts Under the Sea” (1952), about the remarkable design, transport and laying of the underwater high-voltage cable that electrified the San Juan Islands; and “Look to the River” (1954), a rather impressionistic color film about the expansion of the dam system, with a score by Oscar-winning composer Ernest Gold. As a bonus, the set includes a booklet of movie posters and photographs, as well as an introduction by BPA librarian Libby Burke, a film archivist with a degree in cinema studies who curated the collection.

It should be noted that the original 16 mm prints of these BPA films were lost for nearly 20 years. But in an unexpected development, they were recently discovered in good condition in a federal archive in Seattle and transferred to a digital format. We hope you enjoy the improved detail, color and sound of these digitally restored films.

BPA Film Collection, Volume One, 1939-1954, as well as BPA Film Collection, Volume Two, 1950-1987, are also available on DVD. To receive a free copy, contact the BPA Library and Visitor Center in Portland at 800-622-4520 or visitorcenter@bpa.gov. In addition to being posted below, you can view and share the films and other BPA-produced videos on BPA’s YouTube channel.


Introduction by Libby Burke	BPA Historical Films Promo	Hydro: Power to Make American Dream Come True (1939)


The Columbia: America's Greatest Power Stream (1949)	Highline: Northwest's High-Voltage Transmission System (1950)	Introduction by Libby Burke, Part II


Power Builds Ships: Hydropower Helps Win World War II (1942)	25,000 Volts Under the Sea: Laying of the San Juan Cable (1952)	Look to the River: Columbia River Opens New Opportunities for Enterprise (1954)