sports | The Archival Eye

Institution: Internet Archive
Collection: Prelinger Archives

Running time: 11m 03s
Source film: 16mm; color; b&w; sound
Year: 1940
Production: Jam Handy Organization

Sponsor: Angstein (S.) & Company
Narration: Bill Stern

Whether you’re browsing in-store or online, most ski jackets you’ll find are probably made out of some combination of nylon and polyester. It might have synthetic insulation (e.g., Thinsulate) for warmth and seam taping and some sort of hydrophobic coating to help waterproof it. On the other hand, if you’re seeking winter wardrobe that consists of flannel or poplin, I can only conclude that you’re a time traveler from the 1930s or 1940s. And if that’s the case, shouldn’t you use your time traveling skills to go back and prevent Hitler’s parents from meeting?

Continue reading Fashions on Ice and Snow (1940) →

Distribution: Borndreamer
Collection: Private

Running time: 35m 00s
Source: VHS; color; sound
Year: 1999
Production: Borndreamer, Rebecca Ayers
Director: Rebecca Ayers
Writer: Rebecca Ayers
Camera: Bob Ayers
Lighting: Bob Ayers
Sound: Bob Ayers
Graphics & Editing: Motion City Films, Santa Monica, CA
Audio Editing: Marty Blasick

Cast: Nancy Barnes, Bob Ayers, Gene Moore, Nick Ayers, Brian O’Brien, Jewell Holmes & Raymond

When the American news cycle starts to contain stories of catastrophic injuries and failed adherence to concussion protocols, it means the NFL season has arrived. Often lost in the deluge of bloviating talking heads and game highlights are the rule changes approved by team owners during the league’s offseason (there were seven this year alone). Such changes — which occur nearly every offseason — can affect everything from player safety to the pace of the game itself. With so much turnover in how the game is played from year to year, how does a football fan keep track of it all? And more important, how can someone married to a football fan keep track of it when they are: a) not a fan of football; and b) a woman? Filmmaker Rebecca Ayers sought to assuage all gender-specific, football-illiterate fears with her 1999 educational film, Football: A Woman’s Guide.

Continue reading Football: A Woman’s Guide (1999) →

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