Paul Christopher Spehr

Background

Paul Christopher Spehr was born on August 2, 1931, in Areata, California, United States. He is the son of Peter E. and Inez J. Spehr.

Education

Spehr received his education at Kenyon College, graduating from it with a bachelor's degree in 1952. He also attended George Washington University from 1956 to 1957.

Career

Spehr started his career as an assistant chief of Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress. He served there from 1958 to 1993. After a year at George Washington University as an instructor in American studies, Spehr has primarily been working as a freelance film historian and archival consultant.

During his career, Spehr also served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954.

Achievements

• Paul C. Spehr is best known as a film historian and archival consultant. He is the author of such works as The Civil War in Motion Pictures, The Movies Begin: Making Movies in New Jersey, The Man Who Made Movies: W.K.L. Dickson and American Film Personnel and Company Credits. He is also a contributor to periodicals, including American Film, Journal of the University Film Association, Image, and Audio-Visual Communications.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Performing Arts at the Library of Congress

    (This is the 1992 collection of articles and images from t...)

    1992
  • The Man Who Made Movies: W.K.L. Dickson

    (This well-illustrated book offers a window onto early fil...)

    2008
  • The Civil War In Motion Pictures

    (A Bibliography Of Films Produced In The United States Sin...)

    1961
  • The Movies Begin: Making Movies in New Jersey, 1887-1920 1977
  • American Film Personnel and Company Credits, 1908-1920, Filmographies Reordered by Authoritative and Organizational 1996

Membership

Spehr is a member of the Association of Moving Image Archivists and Domitor.

Interests

• Phototraphy, gardening, travel

Connections

Spehr was married to Barbara Fox until the couple got separated. They gave a birth to 4 children, Mark Stephen, Elizabeth Ann Spehr Shaw, Christopher Fox and Katherine Ann Spehr Zabrucky.

Father:

Peter E. Spehr

Mother:

Inez J. Spehr

ex-wife:

Barbara Fox

Son:

Mark Stephen Spehr

Daughter:

Elizabeth Ann Spehr Shaw

Son:

Christopher Fox Spehr

Daughter:

Katherine Ann Spehr Zabrucky