Clio’s documentary film series grew out of the collaborative effort of a group of historians brought together to discuss history as presented on television and in documentaries. During Clio’s three-day workshop, these scholars discussed the impact of television and feature films on shaping concepts of American history as well as their own experiences with film, both as historical consultants on a variety of documentaries and as teachers screening films for the classroom. All concurred that there is a critical need for high-quality documentaries which are engaging and educational, employing intellectual rigor as well as a compelling narrative. Focusing on the dearth of documentaries relating to women (other than biographies), workshop members developed a list of potential topics for a series on women’s history and a list of criteria for making films on historical women’s topics.
American Originals
The outcome of these lively discussions is Clio’s film series American Originals: 100 Years of Women and Popular Culture. Part one, Miss America, aired on PBS–American Experience in 2002 and 2004.
Making History Archive
Clio's Making History Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present materials relating to selected select historical events and movements from the last half of the 20th century. The first project is to film digital video interviews with key participants in the Anita Hill segment of the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings.