The Archival Turn in Feminism: Outrage in Order

New School cultural studies scholar Eichhorn chronicles complex issues and questions regarding the archiving of feminist materials, and, through three case studies, examines the content and value of specific feminist archives: the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture at Duke University; the Riot Grrl Collection at New York University; and the Barnard College Zine Library. Along with profiles of the women who created these organizations, Eichhorn provides deeper analyses of topics ranging from questions of reconciliation that come with seeking establishment space for radical materials to the degree to which archives dispel myths. However, some strands remain loose at the end. Eichhorn answers the radical/establishment reconciliation question by pointing out how many conventional feminist archives have had unorthodox origins, and emphasizes that the archive is “a potential site of resistance,” but less conventional archives, such as the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn, mentioned early on in the book, aren’t similarly explored. Nevertheless, the questions Eichhorn raises will deepen a necessary debate. (Aug.)