Posted on behalf of Shaun Kirkpatrick
On Oct. 24, PhilaMOCA hosted the final centerpiece event of Archives Month Philly 2018, “It Came from the Archives: A Short Film Showcase.”
In a little under two hours, the audience was treated to film and video gems from the collections of seven area archives, including two academic, two museums, one corporate, one religious, and one a special collections library.
Highlights included a 1977 “groovy meditation” on being a chemist, a 1933 silent film looking at a day in the life of a Catholic Seminarian, footage of the Three Stooges in their later years, and a recap of an anti-war “Women’s Strike for Peace” march on Washington in 1967. Along the way audience members pondered ethical dilemmas real and imaginary, visited a famous Fiji ukulele musician, learned how to begin a career with a major Philadelphia insurance company in 1947, and were persuaded that getting an online Information Systems degree in 1996 was a fit for any lifestyle (provided you have a good dial-up Internet provider).
An intriguing and entertaining mix of subjects and genres that matches up against many short film showcases, the event is definitely one to keep an eye out for again next year.
Delaware Valley Archivists Group 