Marion Stokes, a civil rights activist, librarian, and self-proclaimed archivist, dedicated over 30 years of her life to an extraordinary mission: capturing every moment of U.S. television. Beginning in 1979 during the Iran Hostage Crisis, Stokes recorded news, sitcoms, commercials, and documentaries around the clock. Her unparalleled effort resulted in over 71,000 VHS and Betamax tapes—an archive of more than 400,000 hours of TV history.
Stokes’ passion stemmed from a belief that media coverage could shape public memory and that preserving broadcasts was critical for understanding how events were framed in real-time. She worried that, as stories evolved, key details could be lost or altered, leaving future generations without an accurate historical record.
Her dedication went beyond casual recording. Stokes managed multiple TVs at once, swapping out tapes every six to eight hours. Over time, she accumulated so much footage that she purchased nine apartments solely for tape storage. Her work was a logistical feat, driven by deep conviction and her financial foresight in early investments in Apple stock, which funded her project.
Stokes' story gained renewed attention in 2013 when the Internet Archive began digitizing her tapes, ensuring her work lives on in the digital age. The 2019 documentary Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project further illuminated her legacy, highlighting her role as a pioneer of guerrilla archiving.
Stokes passed away in 2012, coinciding with the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Her tapes ceased that day, but her efforts remain a monumental contribution to media preservation, offering a unique lens into the evolution of television and news.
Today, her project stands as a reminder of the importance of archiving in a world increasingly reliant on fleeting digital content. As streaming platforms continue to alter the accessibility of media, Marion Stokes’ work prompts us to reflect on how history is preserved—and who is responsible for safeguarding it.
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Source: ATI
Photo Credit: Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project
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