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David Francis

b. 1935

British archivist

Librarian Archivist Film scholar
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About David Francis

Born 1935. David Francis is an English librarian, archivist and film scholar.

David John Francis (born 1935 ) is a British film archivist. He was the second curator of the UK's National Film and Television Archive from 1974 until 1989, when he was succeeded by Clyde Jeavons. Francis went on to become the Chief of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress (November 1991 - February 2001).

Works

During the 1980s he was the leading academic member of the team that created London's internationally acclaimed Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI).

In 2018 he opened the Kent Museum of the Moving Image with his wife Jocelyn Marsh.

Awards and honors In 1990, Francis was made both a Fellow of the British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society and a Fellow of the British Film Institute for his work in film and television preservation. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to film archiving and for his work on the Getty Center in the 1986 Birthday Honours.

He has been an Honorary Member of the International Federation of Film Archives since 2001.

Francis was the 2002 recipient of the Mel Novikoff Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

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Important facts

Born
1935
Birth century
Nationality
Employers
Library of Congress
Awards
Officer of the Order of the British Empire; Jean Mitry Award
Also known as
David John Francis

People in David Francis's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Francis's

Frequently asked questions

Who is David Francis?

British archivist

When was David Francis born?

David Francis was born in 1935.

What is David Francis's occupation?

David Francis is a librarian, archivist and film scholar.

What nationality is David Francis?

David Francis is English.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Francis

· Wikidata: Q5233796

· DBpedia: David Francis (film archivist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Francis. https://biography.guide/david-francis-librarian/

MLA: "David Francis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-francis-librarian/.

Chicago: "David Francis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-francis-librarian/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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