New York, February 8, 2025: A rare piece of cinematic history has been unearthed in a basement in Greenport, Long Island. The silent film, believed to be the only surviving copy, documents life in the U.S. during the Civil War, with a particular focus on President Abraham Lincoln. Historians consider it an invaluable find. NBC New York’s Greg Cergol reports.
Thought to be lost forever for more than a century, the 16-millimeter film was discovered by an intern while sifting through old boxes. “The Heart of Lincoln,” a silent movie released in 1915 by Universal Studios, has long been believed to have been among the 7,000 silent films lost to history, according to the Library of Congress.
Directed and starred by Francis Ford, the older brother of iconic Hollywood director John Ford, the film explores Lincoln’s life and the broader context of the Civil War. John Ford, who would go on to win four Academy Awards for Best Director, also made his own film about Lincoln decades later.
Film archivist Eliot Kissileff, who helped clean and digitize the movie, emphasized the importance of preserving this unique piece of film history. “It was lucky the cans were sealed and hadn’t decayed,” he said.
The film, in surprisingly good condition despite its age, was found in 2024 at Lauro’s Historic Films Archive in Greenport by summer intern Dan Martin. Martin was sorting through boxes of old films donated to the archive when he came across the movie, which had been left untouched for decades.
“For someone studying film preservation, this is the most rewarding discovery you could hope for,” said Martin, a resident of Jamesport.
The five reels were discovered among other rusty film canisters in the office of Joe Lauro, the business owner. “He came up to me with a startled look and said, ‘Joe, I really think we’ve got something special here,’” Lauro recalled. Lauro hopes to restore the film and add a modern score, offering contemporary audiences a chance to experience this historic cinematic gem.
“About 70% of silent films are lost,” Lauro explained. “This discovery is a piece of the puzzle of lost American cinema now found.”
For Martin, the discovery serves as a reminder of the significance of even the smallest tasks. “Ending my internship on this high note was incredibly rewarding,” he said. “A film like this proves that film history is still being written.”
