This post was written by Vivian Stein for La MaMa’s Archives Blog
As a second-year student in NYU’s Archives and Public History MA program, I have spent the summer interning at La MaMa. My focus has been on digitizing Jerry Vezzuso’s production photos of performances throughout the 1980s.
This digitization project has meant making high-resolution preservation scans of Vezzuo’s full-color, oversized prints and making lower-resolution access copies which are used in La MaMa’s digital collections site and online catalog.
My workstation consists of a PC running the backend of the catalog, a desktop running Mac OS 10.6.8 which runs the Epson Expressions 10000XL flatbed scanner, and an external drive for transporting and storing scanned images.
Working with this legacy OS has been a blast from the past (for reference, Mac 10.6 launched in 2009).
I’ve learned how to streamline my workflow from 2.5 hours down to 1 hour from start to finish using Photoshop’s Image Processor to automate batch file conversions from the 600dpi TIFFs originally created into JPEGS which are smaller, more easily accessible via the web. Bridge has been a great tool for batch renaming folders of files in one go.
Metadata
This project has also involved metadata, both in terms of adding new metadata, and cleaning up existing information (cataloging is an iterative process!) Most object records for the lost Vezzuso photos still exist, just as placeholders with minimal data (year, title, Library of Congress subject headings and a version of La MaMa’s copyright statement, as they hold the copyright to Vezzuso’s production photos). Since the computer running the scanner is sixteen years old, I let both machines “do their thing” while I use our laptop to update and expand metadata in the backend.
This includes adding descriptions about the photos, what’s written on the reverse (if anything), and how users can find additional information in the related (and hyperlinked) production records.
Related productions in different years, by the same or different companies, are linked, as well as any special events or tours these photos may be depicting.
Preservation events are also logged, where I briefly note the work I’ve done with these photos, as well as read any work notes left by other interns and staff.
Sometimes, only some of the photos have been previously digitized in response to a special event or other use request, or it’s unclear whether additional photos exist. Sometimes, the year of the problem labeled on the folder of photos doesn’t match up with existing information in the catalog record, or with the handwritten notes on the back of the prints. Then I get to play detective, cross-referencing physical showfiles and related digitized material to determine the most accurate date to use across records.
A most enjoyable task for me has been adding “related objects” to the production photo records.
This means going through programs, playbills, promotional photographs, company headshots, scripts (at least their object record, as scripts themselves are not digitized), photos of props, show files, etc and linking no more than five to the record.
I really enjoy making these connections within the greater “web” of ephemera created in the process of each production.
CollectiveAccess
La MaMa uses a customized version of CollectiveAccess for its digital collection content management system. Rather than a more linear finding aid, or strict hierarchy of containers, there are a variety of access points to an item in the digital collection – one can find a production through a performer, a photographer, a special event or tour, or an original work. These multiple points of entry into a record increases their discoverability and accessibility, and helps to build a context around performances which are themselves intangible and ephemeral.
It’s been a joy to find new and familiar faces in the Vezzuso photos and physical show files on-site at the Archives. The 1982 production of Frankie and Johnnie jumped to the top of my list one afternoon in response to a request from a PhD student researching the director and puppeteer, Winston Tong. It was a special treat digitizing prints from the 1987 production Tom Eyen’s Give My Regards to Off-Off Broadway. I’ve been working with Lola Pashalinski, a founding member of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, on her archive. After digitizing the photos, I was able to grab the lower resolution access copies I had made and add them to Lola’s digital archive.
New-to-me discoveries include Pink Fang (then Ping Chong & Company’s) Nosferatu (1985): an examination of Reagan-era America and the AIDS crisis by way of the classic vampire tale and Poe’s Masque of the Red Death; the great Ronnie Gilbert in Joseph Chaikin’s Lies and Secrets (1983); and André De Shield’s Haarlem Nocturne (1984) with Debra Byrd, Ella English, and Freida Ann Williams.
Conclusion
Overall, this internship has been a valuable experience. I’ve gotten to work hands-on with amazing production photos from Off-Off Broadway, learn some techniques for batch processing digital files, and get familiar with CollectiveAccess, which is used by many GLAM institutions (galleries, archives, libraries, and museums).
I would be amiss not to mention that the highlight of this internship was taking part in a tour of the Archives led by Ozzie Rodriguez before he passed away this summer. A master storyteller as well as artist, playwright, director, and actor, his passion and love were infectious. I am thankful to have gotten to meet him, and to have had this opportunity to work with Archive Digital & Special Projects Manager Kylie Goetz, and all the wonderful staff here at La MaMa.
My final project was to survey and process the William J. Ledger, MD Papers. Many collections of this archives contain personal health information (PHI), which is protected under HIPAA, and the Ledger Papers was no exception. This meant that I had to identify and flag all PHI documents in the finding aid so that the archivist can restrict PHI material when it is made accessible to researchers. To support me, my supervisor Tali, the Technical Services Archivist, met with me on a weekly basis to discuss any oddities I encountered. I learned much about HIPAA through this internship, and it was helpful to gain insight into how archives navigate restricted material.
I also took part in SMARTFest, an annual event where organizations promote their services to the Weill Cornell community. The archives curated a display case of items from their collections in an effort to demystify the work of the archives. It was rewarding to engage with the public and to share the history of the Medical College through these primary sources. Through SMARTFest, I discovered that I am most excited about this kind of curatorial and outreach work.
The Lott family owned and operated a 220-acre farm in South Brooklyn, growing wheat, rye, buckwheat, oats, corn, flax, and barley. The last crop that was harvested from the farm was in 1925. One of the most interesting aspects of my internship was the opportunity to work with the collection, primarily from the eight generations of Lotts that lived in the house from 1720 to 1989, which includes farm tools, furniture, clothing, and even cookbooks. Through these artifacts, I gained a deeper understanding of life for the Lott family for three centuries.
Sitting on the Hudson River at Pier 86 is the imposing aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Intrepid. This Essex-class vessel weighs approximately 36,380 tons, measures 872 feet, and is able to carry 91-103 aircraft. The Intrepid was commissioned in 1943 and participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. During her time in combat, she survived a torpedo strike and five kamikaze attacks! The Intrepid continued her service as a “cruise ship” during the Cold War, keeping tabs on the Soviets, and also saw combat in the Vietnam War. In addition to her military duties, during the 1960s, Intrepid served as a NASA recovery vessel. Intrepid was decommissioned in 1974. On August 4, 1982, the Intrepid, Sea, Air, & Space Museum opened to the public in New York City and has continued its mission to “promote the awareness and understanding of history, science and service through its collections, exhibitions and programming in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth.”
To complete my project, I went through all 40 boxes, noting what manuals we had and by using TMS (“The Museum System” — Intrepid’s database of their archival materials) I was able to determine what manuals were missing. Next step was assigning each manual a category depending on their naval assignment. Finally, once all of my manuals were correctly categorized, I created a finding aid. Finding aids are resources for researcher to provide a basic overview of a collection, record group, or series.