Finally, the film arrives!

Dear Diary,

It has been nearly a year's wait but finally a dvd of the film I directed back in 1993 arrived.  My original copy, a VHS tape, was damaged years ago.  So, I was able to see the 22 minute documentary again on my computer!  Later that year, we took third place in the Cable Ace Awards for programming about women with the Sutermeister film. 

 Margaret Sutermeister was an amazing amateur photographer in the 1890's in Milton, Massachusetts.  She put her camera and boxes of glass plate negatives away in 1909 and there they stayed hidden for decades.  We received multiple grants to produce this film.  It was a thrill to see it again after all these years. 

Margaret photographed typical Victorian scenes around Milton but it was her photographs of the gypsy peddlers, Native Americans and African Americans that really compelled me to take on this project.  As a gift, I received a print of my favorite image,. (extra)  It shows 4 men, Irish, Italian, German and African American, all residents of Milton.  It reminded me of a photograph by Paul Strand.  She was making a statement and giving dignity and standing for these "unseen" people.