Cinema and Community: Progressivism, Exhibition, and Film Culture in Chicago, 1907-1917

Acknowledgments

acknowledgments As befits a book that took such a long while to write and research, I owe many thanks to all those involved in the process. My dissertation advisor , Don Crafton, and my committee members, Tino Balio, Lea Jacobs, and David Hayman, helped me start the process of mapping this area of early cinema. Tino Balio first opened my eyes to the significance of film history while Tom Gunning, Vance Kepley, and Lynn Spigel’s classes and counsel inspired me to explore the interfaces of media history , theory, and criticism. I was fortunate to study with a supportive and stimulating group of grad students, including Steve Classen, Sean Feeney, Kevin Glynn, Antonette Goroch, Mike Quinn, Greg Smith, Jeff Smith, and Pam Wilson. Particular thanks go to my dearest Madison friends who always continue to inspire me: Lisa Parks, Jenny Thomas, Alyssa Goldberg, Shari Goldin, Aniko Bodroghozy, Jeff Sconce, and Jan Levine Thal. My students at the University of Houston were a constant delight and helped make my short spell in Texas very special, especially the time spent with Marcy Basile, Jesse Handy, Erik Ribeiro, Shannon Harrison , and Bruce Abbate. At the University of Pittsburgh, my greatest thanks go to Jane Feuer and Kathie Ferraro (and their cats Cyd and Phoebe) for their kindness, fierce intelligence, sharp wit, love, friendship ,wisdom,strongcounsel,andamazinghospitality.Theywillforever be part of my family. I was very fortunate to have such supportive and inspiring colleagues as Jane, Lucy Fischer, David Bartholomae, Nancy Glazener, and Neepa Majumdar. Particular thanks go to my graduate students and my teaching assistants, David Sidore, Daniel Wild, Barry Howell, and Hugh Manon, as well as Amanda Klein, who offered sage advise on the book, particularly its introduction, and along with Al- acknowledgments x lyson Wuerth and Coral Ruppert truly enriched my life in Pittsburgh and beyond. John Kikrilis, Patrick Sutton, and Tiffany Habay helped me to see another side of Pittsburgh before we explored New York life together, while Chris Androlia and Shawna Sullivan became the dearest of friends with whom I’ve shared Madonna and Spice Girls concerts, shopping, cat shows, and much laughter. Special thanks go to Daniel Wild, Susan, and Angela DiGeronimo for their kindness and support. I thank the staff at the archives and libraries who helped me locate the resources necessary to write this book, particularly Charles Silver at the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, the staff at the interlibrary loan departments at New York University and the University of Pittsburgh , the archivists at the University of Illinois–Chicago special collections , and the staff at the Chicago Historical Society and Chicago Public Library. This book would not have been possible without support from Anna McCarthy and Rick Maxwell. I am most grateful to Pamela Church Gibson for all her help, advice, and friendship. Special thanks go to my colleagues and students at NYU, particularly Richard Allen, Antonia Lant, Chris Straayer, Jonathan Kahana, Patricia Lennox, Ken Sweeney, Melanie Daly, Cathy Holter, Dana Gravesen, Rebecca Bachman , and the students in my early cinema, historiography, and women ’s picture courses. Thanks also go to my wonderful Gallatin students , particularly Colby Jordan, Laura Kraisinger, Blair Lancer, and Emily Levine. At Queens College, special thanks go to Amy Herzog, Julian Cornell, Karen Mandoukos, Nelson Torres, and so many of my undergraduates. My friends in New York have helped me both with the book and with much needed down time. Everybody should have a friend as good, as loyal, as funny, smart, and kind as Alyssa Goldberg. Noah Tsika and Sue Collins read countless drafts of the manuscript and provided first-rate critical feedback as well as firm friendship and support. Ben Horner has been the perfect dinner, desert, movie, and TV companion and I am fortunate to have him as a friend. Brynn White, Ashley Swinnerton , Brittan Dunham, and Taso Georgakis are remarkable people who have shared their film knowledge and DVD collections with me. Cindy Im, Monica Pelaez-McGinley, and Caroline Sinders helped make fashion even more fun, along with ex–New Yorker in Portland, Marti acknowledgments xi Zimlin. In Brooklyn I was lucky enough to have the best neighbors ever in Deborah Berman and Warren Shaw and wish they were still just a few feet away. Evan Cooper deserves special thanks for his role helping this book come to fruition, for his encouragement in gently steering me to work and reminding me when to stop. He has...