Below is an excerpt from an article published on WBUR by NULab Faculty Meg Heckman, an associate professor at Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and Media Innovation, and her research on archival materials from the Boston Globe.
“Who was she? I wondered as I examined a box stuffed with fragile, yellowed clippings of newspaper stories written decades ago by Boston Globe reporter Marjory Adams. I had just started my excavation of archival materials donated by the Globe to Northeastern University, where I work as a journalism professor. My goal was to find influential local women journalists who, because of sexism and other factors, have been overlooked. Adams was exactly the type of historical figure I’d hoped to discover — prolific, talented and nearly forgotten.”
Heckman goes on to describe, “These omissions became even more frustrating when I learned that Adams was part of a local trend. During the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Boston’s daily newspapers employed some of the nation’s best-known film critics. All of them were women. They tended to travel as a pack, lugging typewriters and formal gowns to movie premieres all over the world. As novelties in the male-dominated media industry, they often attracted enough attention to upstage the stars. By the 1930s, they’d earned an enduring nickname: The Girls from Boston.”
“The story of the Girls from Boston is a testament to a group of women who overcame sexism and forged careers in a male-dominated industry. It’s also a cautionary tale. What I know and do not know about them is a reminder of how easily remarkable lives can dissolve into obscurity. When we overlook — or forcibly erase — women’s contributions, we lose more than individual biographies. Whole chunks of the human experience vanish. Perhaps forever.”
You can read the full article on WBUR here: The Girls from Boston.
