Archives West Finding Aid
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Jan Baross Film Collection, 1967-2001
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Baross, Jan
- Title
- Jan Baross Film Collection
- Dates
- 1967-2001 (inclusive)19672001
- Quantity
- 264 films and tapes
- Collection Number
- Accession Number 25230
- Summary
- The collection includes 29 complete moving image works, 8 recorded plays, Baross family home movies, and various other film making elements.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Jan Baross was born in Oakland, CA in 1943 and raised in Bakersfield, CA. Her father was an orthopedic surgeon, her mother was a social worker and her brother eventually became an ER doc.
From an early age Baross’s mother took her across Asia, Africa and Europe. It was there Baross began her voluminous sketching of the many countries they visited, capturing the pre-T-shirt world of the post era.
At eighteen Baross left for San Francisco State University to major in art. It was the 1960s. She was living in the Haight, becoming a photographer and abandoned painting. She was the editor of the classic photo journal, “The Hippies,” published by the Idlewild Press. Her photos of The Free Speech Movement at University of California, Berkeley in 1964-5 were published.
In 1967 Baross married a marine microbiologist and moved to Seattle. She joined the Seattle Film Board and made award winning documentaries and animated films. She taught film making for Upward Bound at University of Washington.
By 1971 Baross and her husband had moved to Corvallis, Oregon for his post doc. At Oregon State, Baross taught filmmaking and got an MA in Communications. She worked for OSU making PSAs and was a film critic for The Corvallis Gazette Times.
After a divorce in 1985, Baross moved to Portland, Oregon and continued her filmmaking, joining the board of the NW Film Co-op. She became a film critic for The Business Journal. She also wrote magazine articles, features, made illustrations for The Jewish Review. She began writing screenplays, some of which were optioned.
In the latter 1980s, Baross joined the Artists Repertory Theater literary board. She also tried her hand at writing plays. During the 1990s, theatrical readings and productions followed in Portland, New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico. Some won awards and grants. One of her plays, “Mata Hari,” inspired a composer to write an opera of the same title for which Baross wrote the libretto. As winner of a national competition, the opera premiered at the Deep Ellum Opera Company in Dallas, Texas.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains home movies of family and travels, early film experiments, documentary films, television spots, fictional shorts, and recorded plays. Much of the work through the 1980s was created on film, and later materials on video.
The collection includes 29 complete films and television spots, various film and audio elements, recorded plays, 12 animation cels, and paper materials. Formats include 16mm film, DVD, Hi-8, VHS, Beta, U-matic, ¼” audio tape, cassette tape, cels, and paper. Many of the complete films are on multiple formats and most are contained on 3 compilation DVDs. Most of the works are documentary in nature, but there are also several fictional works.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
Jan Baross Film Collection, Oregon Historical Society, Moving Images Collection
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Baross's materials are arranged by type of work:
Television Spots
Documentaries
Animation
Plays
Home Movies
Other
Location of Collection
Moving Images CollectionCustodial History
Materials were previously in the possession of Jan Baross, the creator, before she donated them to the Oregon Historical Society; some films had been in circulation by distributors.
Acquisition Information
Acc. 25230
Processing Note
Much of the film material in the collection was wound onto cores and recanned during processing, and minor repairs were performed on 16mm projection prints as needed.
Separated Materials
Oregon Historical Society possesses collateral printed ephemera related to Baross's films and screenings (fliers and news clippings) and two published books by Jan Baross: "Jose Builds a Woman," and "Ms. Baross Goes to Mexico: San Miguel de Allende."
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Television Spots: Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 07942 | Agricultural PSAs. 30 seconds each. Color. Agricultural research PSA spots about Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station at Oregon State University.
16mm projection print: MI 07942,
DVD: MI 08295. |
1986 |
MI 08294 | Artists Repertory Theatre PSA. 30 and 40 seconds each. Color. PSA ads for Artists Repertory Theatre’s
five year anniversary.
DVD: MI 08294. |
1986 |
MI 08295> | Great Kids PSA. 30 seconds each. Color. “Nobody’s perfect” and “Trashdancing” PSA ads.
DVD: MI 08295. |
undated |
MI 08295 | Jean Auel, Friends of Multnomah County Library PSAs. 30 seconds each. Color. Four library PSAs featuring author Jean Auel.
DVD: MI 08295.
|
1986 |
MI 08294 | John Powell for Secretary of State. 30 seconds. Color. Campaign ad.
DVD: MI 08294. |
1972 |
MI 08764 | Lily Tomlin PSA. 2 minutes. Color. 16mm projection print: MI 08764. Additional elements in collection. |
1970 |
MI 08294 | Lutheran Family Services PSA. 30 seconds, 10 seconds. Color. “Are you tuning in to your kids?” PSA ads.
DVD: MI 08294. |
1989 |
MI 07944 | OSU Foundation PSAs. 60 seconds each. Color. Six fund-raiser spots for Oregon State University Foundation focusing on agriculture and arts.
16mm projection print: MI 07944. |
undated |
MI 08294 | United Way PSA. 2 minutes. Color. PSA ad. 16mm projection print: MI 07943, DVD: MI 08294. |
1975 |
DocumentariesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 07916 | As If By Magic. 12 minutes. Color. The making of puppets for the opera Carmen by a master puppet maker, and the performance of Carmen highlights with puppets.
16mm projection print: MI 07916, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats, work prints, and elements in collection. |
1982 |
MI 08769 | Bertha. 5 minutes. Color. Biography of Baross's 90 year old grandmother from Russia. Projection Print: MI 08769, DVD: MI 08295. |
1970 |
MI 08770 | Bertha (black and white). 6 minutes, 15 seconds. Black and white. Biography of Baross's 90 year old grandmother from Russia.
Projection Print: MI 08770, DVD: MI 08295. |
1970 |
MI 08068 | A Day At Teledyne Wah Chang. 18 minutes. Color. Overview of operations at the Teledyne Wah Chang industrial plant in Albany, Oregon. Shows overall operations and production processes for zirconium and by-products halfnium and ammonium sulfate.
16mm projection print: MI 08068, DVD: MI 08294. Additional formats, work prints, and elements in collection. |
1989 |
MI 08295 | Everyone Hates My Dog. 5 minutes. Color. People complaining about, and footage of, Tazmania, the dog. DVD: MI 08295. Additional formats in collection. |
undated |
MI 07945 | Gotta Start Somewhere. 12 minutes. Color. By Jan Baross and Dan McCraw. Film about a special media program at Oregon State University for at risk youth to learn work in broadcasting.
Projection print: MI 07945, MI 08294. |
1973 |
MI 07909 | Happy Feet. 13 minutes. Color. History of Baross’s mother and extended family. Projection print: MI 07909. |
1982 |
MI 08295 | The Healing Touch. 4 minutes. Color. The laying-on of hands, reiki, touch as homeopathic medicine. DVD: MI 08295. |
undated |
MI 07902 | Heart Of The Valley. 22 minutes. Color. History of Corvallis, Oregon and the Willamette Valley. Interviews with descendants of founders. 16mm projection print: MI 07902, DVD: MI 08293. |
1976 |
MI 08294 | In The Footsteps Of Columbus. 24 minutes. Color. Film about historic exhibit by Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Jewish Museum about Jewery in America and Oregon
from 1654-1880. DVD: MI 08294. Additional formats and elements in collection. |
1993 |
MI 05085 | International Seed. Unknown length. Color. Various 16mm elements in collection. |
undated |
MI 08294 | Man In The Biosphere. 6 minutes. Color. Tom McCall narrates a film on the uses and resources of Oregon and
Andrews Experimental Forest. DVD: MI 08294. |
1980 |
MI 08295 | Northwest Natural Gas. 1 minute excerpt. Color. Training film. DVD: MI 08295. |
undated |
MI 07900 | Nothing Comes Easy. Unknown length. Color. Various 16mm elements in collection. |
undated |
MI 07926 | Oregon Woodcarvers. 24 minutes. Color. Four Oregon woodcarvers are profiled: Gary Hauser, Douglas MacGregor, Roy Setziol,
and Ed Quigley. 16mm projection print: MI 07926, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats, work prints, and elements in collection. |
1980 |
MI 08295 | That Five Star Feeling. 13 minutes. Color. Biography about Baross’s eccentric mother, Estelle Meadoff, who lived in a 5 star hotel in London for 30 years. DVD: MI 08295. |
1998 |
FictionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 08058 | Full Tilt Finale. 8 minutes. Color. Psychedelic romp in which three friends—one played by Jan Baross—vaguely try to stop a bomb from
blowing up Seattle. 16mm projection print: MI 08058, DVD: MI 08293. Additional work prints and elements in collection. |
1969 |
AnimationReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 07940 | The Boy And The Flower. 3 minutes, 25 seconds. Color. Mix of animation and live action. Boy resists authority and assimilation. 16mm projection print:
MI 07940, DVD: MI 08293. Additional work prints and elements in collection. |
1968 |
MI 07937 | The Computer Said. 2 minutes. Color. Comedic presentation of a computer learning to speak and sing. 16mm projection
print: MI 07937, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats, work prints, and elements in collection. |
1968 |
MI 08064 | The Friendly Skies. 4 minutes, 20 seconds. Color. Comedic story of nature thwarting military-industrial complex.
16mm Projection print: MI 08064, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats, work prints, and elements in collection. |
1969 |
MI 07941 | The Scraatch. 2 minutes, 44 seconds. Color. Mix of live action and “animation.” Two lovers fight are attacked
by aggressive scratches in the film. 16mm projection print: MI 07941, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats, projection prints, work prints, and
elements in collection. |
1970 |
MI 08076 | Weird Arthur. 1 minute, 30 seconds. Color. Stop action love story of two dough-people. 16mm projection print: MI 08076, DVD: MI 08293. Additional formats and elements in collection. |
1970 |
PlaysReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
various | Plays. Recordings of plays exist on VHS, Hi 8, or audio cassette.
Titles: Breaching May 8; Ghost of Rhoddy Al; He, She, It; Little Favors; Love Bites (1992); Mati Hari; Snow Storm; The Woman Who Walked With a List. |
various |
Home moviesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 08780 | Home Movies. Color. Collection of family home movies on 8mm and Super 8. Various travel footage. |
1960s-1980s. |
OtherReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | |
---|---|---|
MI 08290 | Animation Cels. 12 cels. Color. Cels from the short film The Computer Said. |
1968 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Baross, Jan
- Baross, Jan--Archives
Geographical Names
- California
- Oregon
- Pacific Northwest
- Washington
Form or Genre Terms
- Motion pictures
- Short films
Occupations
- Motion picture producers