the industrious women project.
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An ongoing series of zines recovering the contributions of women to the
mid-20th century 16mm film sector.
In researching the mid-20th century nontheatrical film sector, I’ve spent many hours poring over the pages of Business Screen, The Educational Screen, Film World and A-V World News, and other trade industry periodicals. What I encountered was a seemingly endless parade of (white) men who presided over companies and the boards of audio-visual trade associations that constituted the public face of industry interests.
I found myself stopping anytime I found a woman in the mix and began collecting their stories. In the summer of 2023, in collaboration with graphic designer John Munshour, I launched a zine series beginning with 19 such women. Volumes 2, 3, and 4 have added 60 more. I hope to produce additional volumes in 2025 and ‘26.
Even as the 16mm sector afforded comparatively more opportunities for women than the 35mm mainstream, the materials I’ve encountered also reflect an industry with limited opportunities available to women of color. I hope future research uncovers a greater number of exceptions to this tendency.
Below are a sample of entries from volumes 1 and 2.
