Collection: Lost Theatres of Somerville Papers

Scope and Contents

This collection contains oral history tapes and transcripts from David Guss's Lost Theatres of Somerville project, documenting the history of movie theaters in Somerville, MA, as well as oversize maps, and CDs, floppy disks, mini-tapes, and DAT tapes. The collection is based on a year-long exhibition curated by David Guss, a Professor of Anthropology at Tufts University, and hosted by the Somerville Museum from March 2003-April 2004 entitled "Lost Theatres of Somerville." This collection, like the exhibit, documents the history of Somerville's fourteen movie theatres and the role of these cultural institutions in defining a sense of place and neighborhood.

Dates

2002 -- 2003

Creator

Guss, David

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is in received order.

Related Materials

http://www.losttheatres.org/

Extent

3.6 Linear Feet (5 boxes)

1 Digital Object(s)

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

David Guss is Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Tufts University. His areas of expertise include urban and aesthetic anthropology; placemaking; theory; cultural performance; myth and ritual; popular culture; and Latin America. Guss received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles

Guss curated the exhibit "Lost Theaters of Somerville." A Professor of Anthropology at Tufts University, Guss has compiled what is perhaps the largest collection of the neighborhood movie-going experience in the United States.