CFP: Film History section on Ephemera

CALL FOR PAPERS

Film History: An International Journal

“Ephemerata” section 

The upcoming issue of Film History (Vol. 25, No. 4) inaugurates the first installment of “Ephemerata,” a new semi-regular section. Motivated as much by the circulatory role of eBay as by the ease of digitizing documents for online posting and the research opportunities afforded by searchable archives like the Media History Digital Library and the Internet Archive, “Ephemerata” offers scans of photographs, postcards, pamphlets, brochures, and other long-forgotten, discarded, or simply overlooked print material. These orphaned items are here re-circulated with an eye toward expanding the scope—perhaps even generating debate—about what counts as “primary” sources and how ephemeral material might be interpreted, contextualized, and deployed. We hope that these otherwise obscure artifacts, once digitally re-materialized, spark curiosity and open up lines of inquiry concerning the history of cinema, broadly and inclusively understood.

The items resurfacing in “Ephemerata” will be framed by a short scholarly commentary (approx. 1500 words, plus endnotes) blending annotation and speculation. Whether reproduced in full or in excerpted form, a selected item must be no longer than approximately 12-15 pages. Contributors must be able to provide high-quality scans (at least 300 dpi or higher in resolution) of their selected item. This material must be either orphaned or in the public domain, and authors must secure any necessary permission (archival or otherwise) for the item to be reproduced in Film History.

Film History welcomes your queries about “Ephemerata,” proposals concerning specific items or types of material worth reproducing, and comments on the historical and historiographical import of these highlighted orphans. Contact information available at the journal website.