Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
encoded as: Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)
topic: Joan E. Biren Papers
subject: Joan E. Biren Papers
has part: Biographical History for: Joan E. Biren Papers

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: mnsss
is publisher of: Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)
administers: Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
provides access to: Joan E. Biren Papers

Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA

Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 12.0. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. November 14, 2011
created: November 14, 2011
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Joan E. Biren Papers
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
level: collection
identifier: MS 587
date: 1944-2011 (ongoing)
date created accumulated string: 1944-2011 (ongoing)
extent: 145 boxes
extent: (circa 70 linear ft.)
language: eng
origination: Biren, Joan E.
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Joan E. Biren Papers
acquisitions: The Joan E. Biren Papers were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by Joan E. Biren beginning in 2007.
scopecontent: Scope and Contents of the Collection The Joan E. Biren Papers document her professional and personal life. They include correspondence, notes, photographs, press releases, reports, fliers and publicity materials, journal and newspaper articles, newsletters, audiovisual materials, transcripts of interviews, and memorabilia. The bulk of the papers date from 1975 to 2003. Major topics found throughout the papers include photography, film, lesbianism, Judaism, feminism, lesbian and gay rights, political movements, and anti-nuclear movements. Biren was an avid collector of lesbian and social justice materials, and the Papers are rich in images, clippings, and other materials collected during events such as the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Justice. Materials related to Biren's filmmaking include extensive raw footage, research materials, and transcripts of interviews, conference panels, and events. Notable correspondents include Audre Lorde, Alison Bechdel, Tee Corrine, Barbara Smith, and John D'Emilio. [NOTE: The contents list for this collection is not online yet but will be soon. Check back again in a few weeks, or contact the Sophia Smith Collection if you would like a copy sent to you.]
accruals: Periodic additions to collection are expected and may not be reflected in this record.
access restrictions: The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection with the following caveats: Access to audiovisual materials may first require production of research copies. Portions of this collection have not been fully processed and therefore some portions may be difficult to use.
use restrictions: TJoan Biren retains copyright to her published and unpublished works. Copyright to works by others may be owned by them, their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights for permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Permission must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.
alternate forms available: Additional Formats Some audiovisual recordings have been converted to digital format for research use.
related material: See also the oral history of Joan Biren in the Voices of Feminism Oral History Project.
processing: Preliminary processing done by Maida Goodwin, 2010
associated with: Antinuclear movement -- United States -- History -- Sources
associated with: Artists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Breast Cancer -- Lesbians
associated with: Civil rights movements -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Collectivism -- United States
associated with: Demonstrations -- United States -- Photographs
associated with: Documentary films -- United States -- Production and direction
associated with: Female friendship -- United States -- History
associated with: Feminism and art -- History -- Sources
associated with: Feminism -- Religious aspects -- Judaism
associated with: Feminism -- History --Sources
associated with: Feminism -- Periodicals
associated with: Feminist spirituality -- United States -- History -- Sources
associated with: Feminists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Gay college students -- United States -- History
associated with: Gay liberation movement -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Gay rights -- History -- Sources
associated with: Gays in motion pictures
associated with: Gays -- Periodicals
associated with: Gender identity -- United States
associated with: Goddess religion -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Hispanic American women -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Homophobia in sports -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: International Women's Day -- History
associated with: Indian women -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Jewish lesbians -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Jewish women -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Lesbian activists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Lesbian artists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Lesbian communities -- United States -- History
associated with: Lesbian feminism--History--Sources
associated with: Lesbianism -- Periodicals
associated with: Lesbianism -- Religious aspects
associated with: Lesbianism -- United States -- History
associated with: Lesbians in motion pictures
associated with: Lesbians -- Periodicals
associated with: Lesbians -- Photographs
associated with: Lesbians -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Nuclear disarmament -- History -- Sources
associated with: Peace movements -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Photography of women -- History -- Sources
associated with: Lesbian physicians
associated with: Pornography -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Peace movements -- United States -- History -- Sources
associated with: Women -- Photographs
associated with: Women and peace -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Women and religion -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Women artists -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Women in mass media -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Women photographers -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
associated with: Women's periodicals, American -- History -- Sources
associated with: Women's rights -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Women's studies -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
associated with: Women -- Periodicals
associated with: Women -- Religious life -- United States -- History
associated with: Women's periodicals, American -- History -- 20th century
associated with: Adam, Margie
associated with: Biren, Joan E.
associated with: Christian, Meg

collection
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145 boxes
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archbox: 145
label: (circa 70 linear ft.)

Biren, Joan E.
type: Agent
is origination of: Joan E. Biren Papers

Biographical History for: Joan E. Biren Papers
type: BiographicalHistory
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body: Biographical Note Joan E. Biren (b.1944) grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1966, and pursued graduate training in political science at Oxford University and communications at American University. Biren joined the women's liberation movement in Washington D.C. in 1969. Coming to feminism with her New Left political science background, Biren was particularly involved in the formation of feminist theory. Biren and others (including Rita Mae Brown and Charlotte Bunch) formed a lesbian-separatist collective, the Furies, in 1971. Though the collective was short-lived, it had, through its publications, a significant impact on the strategies of the women's movement. Biren taught herself photography because "I needed to see images of lesbians." She is best known for her photographic portraits, some of the earliest documents of late 20th-century lesbian life. Realizing the need for affirming images and self- expression outside of traditional patriarchal language, her work has appeared in off our backs, The Washington Blade, Gay Community News, and on countless LP album and book covers. Biren published two ground-breaking collections of her photography: "Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians" (1979) and "Making A Way: Lesbians Out Front" (1987). In the 1990s, Beginning in 1979 Biren toured the country presenting her slide show "Lesbian Images in Photography, 1850 to the present" to women's groups. Other shows followed and gradually Biren moved from still photography to filmmaking. She documented the 1987 and 1993 gay and lesbian marches on Washington in For Love and For Life and A Simple Matter of Justice and in 2003, an award-winning film on lesbian pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, "No Secret Anymore: The Times of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon."
topic: Biren, Joan E.
subject: Biren, Joan E.
is biographical history for: Joan E. Biren Papers
is part of: Joan E. Biren Papers, 1944-2011 (ongoing)

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