Dog show, 1929. Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection.

Editors Note

Welcome to the third issue of Acid Free, a quarterly online publication of the Los Angeles Archivists Collective. 

Our last issue in 2016, ominously titled Disasters, focused on “varying definitions, causes, and implications of DISASTER.” Many events (or disasters) have shaped the direction we plan on taking the publication in 2017.  

As a Los Angeles based collective, this year we’re looking to branch out of our surroundings and be more inclusive of the diverse people, voices, and experiences that make up the archival community as well as the communities we serve. Each issue of Acid Free will continue to focus on archives and archivists as they relate to a theme, and we especially welcome contributions that extend beyond current conversations in the field.

Our AWARDS issue examines the ways in which our archival lives intersect with awards in a year already rife with questions about who (would have) won, what, and why. Oftentimes in the archives, we find that what is more interesting than a trophy and its winner are material concerns of what an award is made of, the story behind the garment a winner wore, or what the winning entry tastes like. But also, what role do awards play in building or highlighting our collections, and how do our archives, our sense of history and memory, contribute to who is recognized at award ceremonies?

We hope you enjoy this issue, and we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a note at acidfree@laacollective.org.

The Audacity of Pants

Archival research and questions posed from developing an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on androgynous fashion.

Imma Let You Finish But...

An exploration of the convergence of archives, award ceremonies, protest, and Beyoncé.

Riding Oscar's Coattails

Report on UCLA Library Special Collections' Oscars flash exhibit series.

Interview with
Andrea Kalas

Interview with Andrea Kalas, Vice President of Paramount Archives and President of the ‎Association of Moving Image Archivists.

The James Beard Awards & Recipes

Information about the James Beard Foundation Awards and James Beard Foundation Archives featuring recipes for your awards watch parties.

Shining a Spotlight on Art Directors

Art Directors Guild Archivist researches and highlights recent ADG Hall of Fame inductees.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom

Three 2016 recipients of the nations highest civilian honor lead us to archives to help us understand their brilliant careers.

A/V: Obie Award Winner, Ntozake Shange

Audio of the author reading from the novel she dedicated “to all women in struggle,” recorded in 1982 and digitized by Pacifica Radio Archives.

Conserving Awards Statuettes and Medals

Examples statuette composition, tips for conservation care, and other resources to aid in the stewardship of objects.

Kudos

A roundup of accomplishments and news from Los Angeles-area archivists and repositories.