Remarkable Women Behind the Camera - from the Dwight Cleveland Archive

06/30/2025

Before most had even heard of “movies,” she was already behind the camera.

In 1896, Alice Guy-Blaché directed The Cabbage Fairy, considered the first narrative film ever made. A secretary at a camera company, she became one of cinema’s first directors, and one of the most prolific.

She directed or produced over 1,000 films!

12/13/2024

Olga Printzlau, prolific screenwriter of the early 20th century, was born on this day in 1891. By age 29, Printzlau was credited with having written 352 produced scenarios. Serving as a totem for the progress of female screenwriters, the Los Angeles Times identified Printzlau as one of the most successful freelance screenwriters working in her time– commanding a salary of $500 a week in 1925 ($9,000 a week in 2024).

Pick of the day: “Conrad in Quest of His Youth” from 1920, written by Olga Printzlau.

Photos copyright of the Dwight M. Cleveland Collection.

03/25/2024

Join my Zoom Webinar "Cinema on Paper: Collecting Film Posters" tomorrow at the The Royal Oak Foundation!

Tuesday, March 26 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)

The history of film and Hollywood has long captivated the imaginations of audiences worldwide.

03/15/2024

Bid on this unique Anna May Wong dress in this charity auction and help support her legacy – All proceeds go to the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum!

Access auction here: https://bit.ly/AMW-Auction

Join us in honoring Anna May Wong's legacy and supporting a worthy cause.

03/08/2024

Honored to present my tribute exhibition to Anna May Wong on this at the San Diego Chinese Historical Society & Museum (sdchm.org)!

12/05/2023

Professor Jane Gaines at MoMA on her 10th Anniversary of the Women’s Film Pioneering Project announcing my Fellowship in honor of Columbia grad Frederica Sagor Maas.

04/04/2022

The ceramic frogs may not be real, but the exhibition at Poster House is! "Experimental Marriage: Women in Early Hollywood" opens this Friday and runs through October 9th. Hope to see you there!

04/01/2022

This may be a shock to some of you, but with my exhibition "Experimental Marriage: Women in Early Hollywood" opening at Poster House on April 8th, I've decided that now is the right time to roll the credits on movie poster collecting. I feel that this will allow me to end this lifelong passion on a high note, and devote myself to my next collecting endeavor: ceramic frog figurines. I'd like you to meet Winston, the first item in what is sure to be an exciting new collection. I hope you'll support me as I explore this new path.

03/31/2022

Today marks the end of but remembering women's accomplishments is a year round activity! Let's end the month with this stellar card from "The Untamed Lady", starring Gloria Swanson and written by Fannie Hurst. I'm grateful to the untamed ladies past and present who make their mark in the face of adversity.

03/28/2022

This title card for "Dream of Love" sure is a dream! This 1928 film was written by Dorothy Farnum with titles by Ruth Cummings and Marian Ainslee, and starred Joan Crawford in what's been called her "first great romantic role". All three writes individually worked on dozens of films. Interestingly, some writers specialized in titles, while others wrote the stories.