Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Shelby Robison Films, 1968-1989
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Robison, Shelby
- Title
- Shelby Robison Films
- Dates
- 1968-1989 (inclusive)19681989
- Quantity
- 70 film reels (7,325 feet) : silent and sound; color and black and white ; 8mm, Super 8mm, and 16mm
- Collection Number
- PH0949
- Summary
- Experimental films and footage created or collected by Shelby Robison
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Access to the original films is restricted due to preservation concerns. Arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Shelby Robison worked as a film editor in Los Angeles. She was active in the Pacific Northwest feminist filmmaking movement, and involved with the Women's Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon. At the time of donation, Robison was residing in Perth, Western Australia.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of 8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm films either created or collected by Shelby Robison. Included in the collection are narrative pieces, experimental films, documented performances, and home movies.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Individual film titles have been derived from title cards, canisters and box labels, and notes present at the time of donation.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Reel DescriptionsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Reel | item | ||
1 | 1 |
Farm
Flowers 1
reel ( 50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
Images of grasses and flowering plants made with various camera
techniques.
|
1968 |
2 | 2 |
White
Sands 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
A small unidentified town as viewed from the passenger side of
an automobile. A recreational visit to White Sands National Monument in New
Mexico.
|
1970 |
3 | 3 |
Florida 1
reel ( 50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
Pastimes in a coastal region, such as visiting a fishing marina,
golfing, and scuba diving. Riding on a boat through what appears to be
Everglades National Park in Florida.
|
1970 |
4 | 4 |
Canada; Yellowstone 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
A lake and mountains, with elk in a nearby field. Two people at
the edge of a steaming body of water, presumably the Grand Prismatic Spring in
Yellowstone National Park. Water spraying from a geyser, presumably Old
Faithful in Yellowstone.
|
1970 |
5 | 5 |
Charles; Christmas 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
Various wildlife, and people swimming in a large river. A bear
on the side of the road. A man, a woman and a toddler under a Christmas
tree.
|
1971 |
6 | 6 |
The Milk
Vending Machine 1
reel (200 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
A delivery man gets out of a truck that is hauling a large
machine. He sets up a ramp to unload the cargo, and uses an electronic dolly to
remove the machine. He then rolls the machine into a building, using the
dolly's rotating edge to raise the machine up a set of stairs.
|
circa 1971 |
7 | 7 |
Skiing; The Reverse Creek Murder
Mystery 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Various people skiing. A narrative concerning a mysterious ax
murder that takes place in a snowy location.
|
circa 1972 |
8 | 8 |
Skiing with
Grady, Dave, and Dad 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Various people skiing. People at the bottom of a ski run. A ski
lodge.
|
1973 |
9 | 9 |
Rape Film,
with Outtakes 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A poster with a drawing of woman kicking a man. The poster
reads, "Disarm Rapists - Smash Sexism." Two women and a man sitting at table,
talking. A sign in background says, "Rape is a Crime of Violence Not Sex." One
woman looks over her shoulder and shakes her head. A brief section of white
film with a hand-drawn pink dot. A still photograph of a woman. A woman looking
over her shoulder, crying, running her hands through her hair, and falling to
the ground. Woman on the ground thrashes about and kicks towards camera, and
the pink dot now covers the entire frame. Project outtakes conclude the
reel
|
circa 1974 |
10 | 10 | Oregon; Experiments with Light;
Flycasting 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and white and
color ; Super 8mm
Close-up of a woman lying in the grass. People standing in a
line, facing forward and singing and playing various instruments. A woman
dancing and someone laying on the ground, perhaps enacting an interpretive
dance. Images distorted in a curved mirror. Pieces of mirror stuck in the top
of a tree stump. A car headlight, an oil lamp sitting on the ground outside,
and a candle are used as light experiments. A woman walking down a set of
stairs and looking out over the ocean. Views of the shore, with a person
standing on the rocky coast. Shellfish, and waves crashing against the
shore.
|
circa 1976, 1978 |
11 | 11 | Outtake Reel 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and white and
color ; Super 8mm
A blond woman looking at the camera. A group of four people
dancing, and another group playing drums. Pink paper with the word
"Evaluations" written in black. Outtakes from the Pacific Northwest Women's
Festival, a dance piece, and the Mers Peace project.
|
circa 1976, 1978 |
12 | 12 |
Gert's 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A group of people watching a woman playing a saxaphone. Another
woman then plays a saxophone, and the two performers eventually play together.
People talking in a circle.
|
circa 1977 |
13 | 13 |
Gert
Singing and Playing 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman, presumably Gert, playing the piano and singing. She is
followed by another woman, also on the piano. People gathering in a kitchen.
The group moves to the piano where they all sing to accompaniment.
|
circa 1977 |
14 | 14 |
Gert's
Kitchen; Collective Meeting 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Several people sitting around a table having a meeting. A sign
for "Gertrude's Café," and a notice in the window stating, "Women Working". A
doorway, red flowers in vase, baked goods, a coffee pot and condiments, and
fruits and vegetables.
|
circa 1977 |
15 | 15 |
Pacific
Northwest Music Fest 1
reel (200 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
River and shore, and a tree viewed at sunset. Human shadows on a
beach, with a person taking photographs. Woman playing fetch with a dog on a
beach. A person and a dog walking through flowers. Drawing states, "Filmakers:
Shady Grove, Debra Scionti, Dhyana Kaharea, Shelby." Women exiting with
lighting supplies, a man tying a knot, and a group moving a piano. People
playing instruments, singing, and dancing. Two women practicing martial
arts.
|
circa 1977 |
16 | 16 | Power Plant 1
reel (25 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
An experimental piece with multi-colored lights and images of a
church and a fountain. A natural setting with a nuclear facility as part of the
landscape. A person laying in the grass, eating fruit and looking at the
camera.
|
circa 1977 |
17 | 17 |
Retrospect 1
reel (150 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
An audience interacting with musicians at an outdoor concert.
People holding hands, dancing in a circle, and speaking with performers.
Traveling to an unidentified stretch of coastline. Food is prepared, and people
explore nature near the water.
|
1978 |
18 | 18 |
Woodcutting 1
reel (150 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A handkerchief with a pink dot hangs from the back pocket of a
woman. A group of women take turns starting a chainsaw and cutting sections
from a log. The logs are then stacked into the bed of a truck.
|
circa 1978 |
19 | 19 |
T.C.
III 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
A group of people interacting on an unidentified stretch of
coastline. A landscape as seen from an airplane, and a view of an airplane as
it lands.
|
circa 1978 |
20 | 20 |
Shady's
Birthday 1
reel (20 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Underexposed images of a group of people eating and
drinking.
|
circa 1978 |
21 | 21 |
Birthday at
Fox Hollow 1
reel (20 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Underexposed images of a child's birthday party with balloons
and candles.
|
circa 1978 |
22 | 22 |
Silly
Cereal; Skiing; Bathroom Images 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Children playing around the home. Skiing footage. Light
fixtures, presumably in a bathroom.
|
circa 1978 |
23 | 23 |
Mers
Peace 1
reel (20 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman playing a stringed instrument and raising her empty
hands to the sky.
|
circa 1978 |
24 | 24 |
Mers
Peace; Wallflower Rehearsal 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Groups of women performing various activities, such as Tai Chi,
reading, and dancing.
|
circa 1978 |
25 | 25 |
Mers
Peace; Loose Lips 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman in a field performing an interpretive dance. Another
person is playing a guitar in the grass.
|
circa 1978 |
26 | 26 | Taste Test; Children
Playing 1
reel (25 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman and a man eating while blindfolded. The pair are
comparing "Aunt Em's Foxy Muffin Mix" and "Brand X" in a taste test. Various
kids playing around a couple of cars and the inside of a wooden playhouse.
|
circa 1978 |
27 | 27 | Flyfishing; Shelby and Brooke 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman flyfishing along a river. One woman, presumably Brooke,
sitting beside the river. Another woman, presumably Shelby, walking out of the
woods with a flower for Brooke. Chalk drawing on a blackboard stating, "Pacific
N.W. [two female symbols] Festival."
|
circa 1978 |
28 | 28 |
Public
Television Spot 1
reel (25 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A group of costumed people with homemade television sets on
their heads are encouraging the viewer to "Support Local Television." A
cameraman and a journalist are pretending to interview the group outside of
what appears to be a mall.
|
circa 1978 |
29 | 29 |
At the
Park 1
reel (125 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A woman, a man, and a girl exploring an unnamed park.
|
circa 1978 |
30 | 30 |
Astronomic:
Dance of Stars 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; Super 8mm
A performance piece. A group of women face each other, join
hands to create a circle, raise up their hands and lean their heads back.
Various close-ups of the women's hands. The women turn around, their backs
touch, and they step forward and back into circle. Other people soon join the
dance.
|
circa 1978 |
31 | 31 |
Astronomic:
Dance of Stars - Work Print 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; Super 8mm
A performance piece. A group of women face each other, join
hands to create a circle, raise up their hands and lean their heads back.
Various close-ups on the women's hands. The women turn around, their backs
touch, and they step forward and back into circle. Other people soon join the
dance.
|
circa 1978 |
32 | 32 |
Astronomic:
Dance of Stars - Beginning 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A spinning globe, followed by a map of Washington State that
emphasizes Interstate 5. A sign on wall shows the name "Nestle" with a red
circle and a slash through it. Three people sitting in a circle with a spinning
globe in the center. A group of women face each other, join hands to create a
circle, raise up their hands and lean their heads back. Various close-ups on
the women's hands. The women turn around, their backs touch, and they step
forward and back into circle. Other people soon join the dance.
|
circa 1978 |
33 | 33 |
Astronomic:
Dance of Stars - Outtakes; Jeanna's Room 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, black and white and
color ; Super 8mm
A performance piece. A group of women face each other, join
hands to create a circle, raise up their hands and lean their heads back.
Various close-ups on the women's hands. The women turn around, their backs
touch, and they step forward and back into circle. Other people soon join the
dance.A map. Musical instruments, and a room with posters on the
walls. A spinning globe with people sitting in a circle in the background. A
group of women face each other, join hands to create a circle, raise up their
hands and lean their heads back. Various close-ups on the women's hands. The
women turn around, their backs touch, and they step forward and back into
circle. Other people soon join the dance. A sign on wall showing the name
"Nestle" with a red circle and a slash through it. Posters pertaining to
women's history in the labor unions.
|
circa 1978 |
34 | 34 |
Fox Hollow
Mirage 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
Two women playing saxaphones. People sitting in a circle and
talking.
|
1979 |
35 | 35 |
Fox Hollow
Mirage - Work Print 1
reel (75 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
Various people playing music and singing in a home setting.
|
1979 |
36 | 36 |
Merry
Christmas 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
Three boys and one girl in front of a Christmas tree. Various
people interacting in a kitchen and dining room. Presents being opened, and
people singing together.
|
1979 |
37 | 37 |
Floating on
River - Test Roll 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
Various people floating down river on inner tubes and rafts.
|
circa 1979 |
38 | 38 |
Female
Directors Project 1
reel (200 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A montage of still images from cinema history, focusing on women
in the film industry.
|
circa 1979 |
39 | 39 | Fireworks; Amusement
Park 1
reel (150 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Fireworks exploding in the sky. A person and a dog walking a
path in a flower garden. Three women at a table, and a boy filming a woman at
the table. Amusement park rides at night, and close-ups of midway lights.
|
circa 1979 |
40 | 40 |
Yvonne's
Paintings 1
reel (175 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
A person sitting on a cliff, with waves hitting the shore.
Images of paintings.
|
circa 1979 |
41 | 41 |
Ballooning
in Eugene 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Preparations for flight, with several hot air balloons being
inflated by a group of people.
|
circa 1979 |
42 | 42 | Wood Splitting;
Archery 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Adults and children in a yard, practicing wood splitting and
archery.
|
1980 |
43 | 43 | Riding Horses 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Adults and children riding horses.
|
1980 |
44 | 44 |
Eating
Fruit; Fun at the Fair 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Children eating at a table. A dog in a prairie. A woman eating a
peach and licking her lips. A woman beside a lake, cooking food over a fire.
The lights of a fair.
|
1980 |
45 | 45 |
Workshop on
Video 1
reel (120 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A woman is explaining the specifics of video production to a
group of people. The instructor uses a video camera and a television to
illustrate her points.
|
circa 1980 |
46 | 46 |
White
100 1
reel ( 100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
An experimental piece concerning a barely visibile figure in a
white shirt. Hands are moving, and shadows are thrown against a white
background.
|
circa 1980 |
47 | 47 | A Woman Writing 1
reel (200 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A woman at a desk is involved in the act of writing in a
book.
|
circa 1980 |
48 | 48 |
A House
Divided 1
reel (400 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A narrative piece that centers around a series of
misunderstandings between a husband and wife. The problems have to do with
perceived infidelity.
|
circa 1980 |
49 | 49 |
Synchronicity 1
reel (50 feet) : sound, color ; Super 8mm
An experimental piece involving balloons, clowns, puppets,
stuffed animals, and a woman in a blue bandana.
|
circa 1980 |
50 | 50 |
Miracle
Worker 1
reel (1200 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
Several shots of a dinner scene featuring a girl, presumably
playing Helen Keller, and a woman, presumably playing Anne Sullivan. Keller
repeatedly runs around the table, drops silverware, and grabs at food. Sullivan
puts Keller back in a chair, and uses severe techniques to convey a lesson to
the girl.
|
circa 1980 |
51 | 51 |
Miracle
Worker - Original Opening Fade-In 1
reel (200 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A girl playing Helen Keller, sits on the floor, pounding her
fists and kicking her legs. A long shot reveals she is beside a table, and a
woman, playing Anne Sullivan, clears plates from the table. A struggle between
the two women ensues.
|
circa 1980 |
52 | 52 |
Miracle
Worker - Fist Fight and Outtakes 1
reel (75 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
A girl and a woman, playing Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, sit
at a table. The seated Sullilvan hits Keller, and the scene is repeated several
times. The assaulted girl moves along floor and feels her way around the table.
The woman watches from the background, and snatches food from path of the
girl.
|
circa 1980 |
53 | 53 |
Miracle
Worker; Fireworks; A
Fair at Night 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Fireworks in the sky. Two women at a table, presumably a scene
from the Miracle Worker project. Lights from the midway of a fair after
dark.
|
circa 1980 |
54 | 54 |
Miracle
Worker; Puppetry 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
First part: A girl and a woman at a table, presumably a scene
from the Miracle Worker project. Second part: A puppet show.
|
1981 |
55 | 55 | Women's Films 1981 1
reel (75 feet) : silent, black and
white ; 16mm
Close up of a newspaper headline that reads, "Women's Films
'81". The camera scans the entire newspaper page from top to bottom.
|
1981 |
56 | 56 |
Eugenia
Review 1
reel (100 feet) : silent, black and
white ; Super 8mm
Various groups of women singing, dancing, and acting on a stage.
A house in the woods, with women raking the lawn and clearing away leaf
piles.
|
1981 |
57 | 57 |
Yellowstone 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; 8mm
Adults wading in water. A steaming body of water, presumably the
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Bears and a waterfall,
also supposed to be in Yellowstone.
|
circa 1981 |
58 | 58 | Boating; Road Trip; A
Gathering 1
reel (250 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Blue-tinted images of a family on a boat, and of bison in a
field. A holiday meal on a table. Various scenes of people preparing and eating
food, cacti, mountain and coastal landscapes, and a barbwire fence. Playing
fetch on the beach and wading with a dog. People sitting and standing around a
table, and a group eating outdoors.
|
circa 1981 |
59 | 59 |
First
Animation Experiment - Wheelchair 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A person coming down stairs with a man in a wheelchair. A group
of animated cutout characters are attempting to push a "one ton" box up an
incline. Human hands move the box up the incline, but the weight eventually
falls down the slope and crushes the paper characters.
This film is presumably related to items 60, 61, and 62.
|
circa 1981 |
60 | 60 |
Moving
Company Animation Sequence 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
An animated cutout character is trying to pull a "one ton" box
up a flight of stairs. More animated characters soon join in the labor, and
they are crushed when they begin to fall under the weight.
This film is presumably related to items 59, 61, and 62.
|
circa 1981 |
61 | 61 |
Safe
Unloading 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A group of people are unloading a safe from a truck using a
mechanical device.
This film is presumably related to items 59, 60, and 62.
|
circa 1981 |
62 | 62 |
Indoor
Computer Move 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Man trying to get a large metallic box out of a truck using a
mechanical device to move it down a ramp. The back of the man's shirt reads,
"Global Van Lines." A second man joins the first, and the pair move the large
container through the doorway of a house. A pair of men are sitting on the back
of a truck, holding onto a loaded dolly that is trailing behind the truck. Two
boxes fall onto the road, and the men retrieve them.
This film is presumably related to items 59, 60, and 61.
|
circa 1981 |
63 | 63 |
Hot Air
Balloon 1
reel (150 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Hot air balloons being inflated, flown, and brought back to the
ground. Groups of people working on balloons and preparing personal safety
equipment.
|
1982 |
64 | 64 | Camera Experiments 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
Various experimental images: flashing red and blue lights; a
crescent-shaped object; light flashing around a pear-shaped object; a linear
flashing light; possibly a human figure.
|
circa 1984 |
65 | 65 | A Marathon 1
reel (20 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A marathon being viewed from various vantage points.
|
circa 1984 |
66 | 66 | Christmas; Traveling 1
reel (275 feet) : silent, black and white and
color ; Super 8mm
Cows in a field, and a heard grazing in a mountained landscape.
Four women sitting around a table. Various people and street scenes, and items
in a curiosity shop. Two women in a kitchen, and a Christmas tree with
ornaments and gifts. A woman in a bubble bath. Christmas celebrations. A woman
in an airport, a view of the tarmac from the terminal, and a view from inside a
plane as it takes off. People decorating a Christmas tree and playing with the
ornaments.
|
circa 1987 |
67 | 67 | Loyola Marymount University
Graduation, Part One 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A graduation ceremony at Loyola Marymount Univeresity. Graduates
and faculty walking through crowds of onlookers. The ceremony begins.
|
1989 |
68 | 68 | Loyola Marymount University
Graduation, Part Two 1
reel (50 feet) : silent, color ; Super 8mm
A speech is given, and people walk across the stage to receive
diplomas. Groups of people talking after the graduation ceremony.
|
1989 |
69 | 69 |
Sync
Master 1
reel (30 feet) : magnetic sound
track ; Super 8mm
|
undated |
70 | 70 | Unlabeled Magnetic Sound
Track 1
reel (70 feet) : magnetic sound
track ; Super 8mm
|
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)