MILLINOCKET, Maine — Narrated photo displays from Millinocket in the early 1900s and presentations on how to protect old family movies and media from wear and tear are among the activities planned by Elbow Lake Media and the Millinocket Historical Society for today and July 4, organizers said Thursday.

The Historical Society and Elbow Lake Media present the two days of town history and fun from noon to 6 p.m. at the old Scootic Inn at 70 Penobscot Ave. as a way of promoting the town’s prodigious logging and papermaking history and the town-based media company’s ability to help preserve old media.

The event is free and open to the public, although contributions to the society’s efforts to raise $100,000 to buy the former Mott apartment building on Central Street are encouraged.

Historical Society Curator Trudy Wyman will offer the narrated photo display. She seeks residents’ help identifying people and places within the old photos. Door prizes will be offered.

Other events planned for the two days include:

ä Presentations on how to protect, enjoy and share family films, movies, photos and slides.

ä Help identifying family media with examples of various film and videotape formats, including Super 8, Standard 8, 16 mm, VHS, VHS-C, Beta, 8-mm, Hi-8, Digital8, Digital Video and three-quarter-inch U-Matic.

ä Help identifying camera memory cards and vintage negatives.

ä Residents displaying their own family movies and videotapes.

ä A family movie competition with prizes for oldest home movie, best pet movie and funniest home movie.

Historical Society President David Cyr and Wyman could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The Town Council voted 4-3 on Oct. 25, 2007, to allocate about $100,000 for the purchase and upkeep of the former Mott apartment building. Under the council’s deal, the society has two years to raise money to pay the town back or the town can sell the property. The society has about $40,000 raised so far.

The Historical Society museum is open Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. on the third floor of the Millinocket Town Hall at 197 Penobscot Ave. Founded in 1979 by residents Polly and Bud Segee, the society’s mission is to gather and preserve Millinocket’s history along with the artifacts that relate where and how the town came to be.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Historical Society can visit millinockethistoricalsociety.org, visit the museum or call 731-5046.