what we do
•architecture
•art
•literature
•culture
Mainspring Narrative Films, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, creates educational documentaries that explore art, architecture, and cultural history. Dedicated to deepening our understanding of the modern world, the company conducts extensive research into the past, uncovering and sharing rarely seen archival imagery and historical documentation. Mainspring is led by producers Jake Gorst and Tracey Rennie Gorst.
“Emmy-winning filmmaker Jake Gorst is the Steven Spielberg of design documentaries.”
why we do it
Mainspring Narrative Films focuses on two core objectives:
1. Reviving Forgotten History
Mainspring aims to uncover and reintroduce pivotal yet overlooked historical figures and events that have shaped our culture. For example, Antonio Corsi—currently the subject of a Mainspring film in production—was once the world’s most recognized face, immortalized in iconic works such as The Storm by Pierre Auguste Cot, The End of the Trail by James Earle Fraser, and the Pygmalion series by Edward Burne-Jones. Despite his fame, Corsi’s remarkable life story has largely faded from memory, a gap Mainspring seeks to bridge.
2. Preserving Cultural Heritage
Mainspring fosters awareness of endangered cultural treasures, such as mid-20th-century modern architecture, which faces threats from neglect and redevelopment. The company’s films have highlighted the significance of preserving this architectural style, inspiring restoration efforts and boosting tourism in areas where these structures have been saved. Key works include:
Leisurama (2005)
Desert Utopia: Midcentury Architecture in Palm Springs (2005, Design Onscreen)
Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island (2012, Design Onscreen)
New England Modernism: Revolutionary Architecture in the 20th Century (2024)
Through these projects, Mainspring continues to celebrate and protect the cultural heritage that shapes our world.
If we don’t care about our past, we cannot hope for the future.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
film restoration
Mainspring Narrative President Jake Gorst cleaning a film by hand to prepare for scanning.
bringing the past to light
Mainspring Narrative Films seeks to present the past in the clearest possible form. Therefore, they locate project-relevant archival films, and then conduct a cleaning and scanning process. The high resolution digital transfers are then further processed to remove imperfections in the original film, and to correct color and frame rate issues. This results in motion imagery that often looks better than when it was first produced in the early part of the 20th century.
One of two state-of-the-art film scanners used by Mainspring Narrative.
Jake Gorst preparing to clean a reel of 16mm film.
It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future.
-William Murtagh, first keeper of the National Register of Historic Places
