Digging in the Archives

Oct 9

Urvashi Vaid, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) • *Creating Change* conference 1995

I am often transported back to circa 1988 as I spend time watching some of the hours of video footage in the collection. A great many of the tapes are only 20 minutes long, and yet the size of a fat hard-backed bible. When digitizing I had to monitor the transfer (in “real time”) so that it didn’t run over and fill up the hard drive with blue screen.

I’ve been watching Gay Pride parades, the unfolding ceremony of the Names Project, lots of Drag, protests at the Republican Convention, crawfish boils, celebrations in various gay bars, NOW parades, announcements, book reviews, and speeches (including several from the Late Urvashi Vaid), and lots of interviews in between.

What a time it all was.

The Late (Great) Urvashi Vaid, 1988, Republican National Convention,
New Orleans. *“38,000 DEAD and STILL NO PLAN”*

The Late Dr. Ibrahim Farajaje
*Creating Change 1993*

The footage looks as good as the day it was shot. I’m amazed considering its 35 years old. I did store the tapes like books (upright) so that the tape on the spools didn’t get bent on the edges, and I tried to keep them at a moderate temperature.

The field equipment back in those times required at least three people to cart it around. I felt exhausted looking at all the places we lugged it all to. By 1989 we were able to switch the high quality “Super VHS” that had just come on the market.

The machines that play these tapes are obsolete. They also weigh about 60 lbs. I took a few chances on e-bay and hoped what I bought actually still worked by the time it got to me. They mostly came from California.

Every time I watch something from the archives it brings back new memories, old feelings and a reminder that “this ain’t over.” We are certainly much further down the road that we were back in the 1970s.

To reminisce this way brings a good feeling of pride in the work that was being done then, and now, and hope for the future.