This wonderful photograph of the future Riverside Park is part of a group of nitrate film negatives that were recently donated to Historic Saranac Lake. Nitrate film was used from the 1890s to the 1950s, but it is extremely flammable! Nitrate film has even been known to combust when stored in improper conditions, and caused many fires in movie theaters throughout the years. Various “safety films” replaced nitrate beginning in the 1930s, and nitrate was almost completely out of use by the 1960s. For the safety of our collections and buildings, we often scan nitrate negatives and dispose of the originals through hazardous waste disposal methods. This scanning work is now being done in-house through a generous grant from the Pomeroy Foundation, and support from individual donors. Thank you to everyone who made this possible! (Photo provided — Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.2.6.1. Gift of Gus Dueben.)