UNCOVERING THE ARCHIVES SERIES
PRESENTED BY CRANBROOK CENTER FOR COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH
Program Curator: Deborah Rice, Head Archivist, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Admission is Free
Seating is Limited; Advance Registration Required
The lecture and film viewing will begin promptly at the scheduled time, followed by a short Q&A session.
Join the Center’s Head Archivist Deborah Rice for a cinematic journey through Cranbrook’s history. A new twist on the Uncovering the Archives series, this program will feature recently discovered gems from Cranbrook Archives' film collection.
With recent grant funding, Cranbrook Archives has been able to preserve and digitize more of its film collection, providing access to footage not seen for decades. Rice will share carefully curated clips from many of these films—created in the 1930s through the 1980s—setting the stage for each using anecdotes and information from corresponding Archives collections. Scenes will feature notable Cranbrook figures George and Ellen Booth, Eliel Saarinen, and Carl Milles, as well as distinguished visitors like Frank Lloyd Wright; construction footage of the Wright-designed Smith House; Institute of Science staff in the field; Academy of Art artists working in their studios; and student life at Cranbrook and Kingswood Schools. Several Horizons-Upward Bound program films, including student-made films, will be spotlighted. Although the films differ in purpose, subject, and style, together they offer a unique opportunity to view the people, places, and things that help define the Cranbrook Community.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Motion picture films are often equated with Hollywood productions, yet many non-theatrical films made by hobbyists and amateur documentarians can frequently be found in archival collections. Valuable as historical and cultural records, they often illuminate stories not found elsewhere or breathe life into factual written documentation.
With Cranbrook’s roots in innovation, it is not surprising that the Booths, Institute scientists, Academy faculty and students, and Schools students were early adopters and avid users of amateur film.
The creative and documentary applications of the portable, easy-to-use, off-the-shelf equipment that became available in the first half of the 20th century must have seemed endless. In addition to these “home movies” and “passion projects,” Cranbrook utilized film as intentional educational and communication tools to convey aspects of Cranbrook’s programs to the public.
More than 500 reels preserved at Cranbrook Archives document traditions, record events of the day, chronicle scientific research and art making, and offer fictional narratives from multiple viewpoints. With the power and immediacy unique to film, these one-of-a-kind works give visible form to the collective memory and legacy of Cranbrook.
Digitization of several films featured in the lecture was funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
ABOUT DEBORAH RICE
Head Archivist Deborah Rice has led development and management of Cranbrook Archives to facilitate collection discovery and access since 2019. With twenty years of professional expertise, Deborah has a deep commitment to connecting scholars and the community to Cranbrook’s unique history.
Deborah holds a BA in Art History from the University of Michigan and an MLIS (Master of Library and Information Services) and Archives Administration Certificate from Wayne State University. Before coming to Cranbook, Deborah worked at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University (WSU), where she served in several different roles, including Audiovisual Archivist. Prior to her work at WSU, she was the Archivist for the Detroit Institute of Arts Research Library & Archives. Deborah has taught graduate courses and lectures regularly on archives for WSU’s School of Information Science.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Cranbrook Art Museum is accessed through Cranbrook's main entrance at 39221 Woodward Avenue. Free parking is available on the east side of the Art Museum and in the parking deck located midway between Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook Institute of Science. Attendees that would like access to the Art Museum's barrier-free entrance (through the New Studios Buildings) will need to make advance arrangements with the Center the week before the lecture by emailing center@cranbrook.edu.
For additional information in advance of the program, please email center@cranbrook.edu or call the Center at 248.645.3307. The Center’s Administrative Office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:30pm.
PHOTO CREDITS
Banner Image: Cranbrook School English Faculty John Geoghegan Loads a Film for Viewing in Class, February 1970. Photography Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives.
Charles Eames with a Camera on the Steps of the Peristyle at Cranbrook Art Museum, May 1941. Photography Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives.
Horizons-Upward Bound Film Class Students with Cranbrook School English Faculty William Moran, Summer 1969. Photography Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives
Still Image from an Unnamed Cranbrook Institute of Science Film of Underwater Coral Reef, circa 1955. Photography Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives.