Series VII. AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, 1965-2013 (#T-519.1-T-519.1166, CD-93.1-CD-93.87, Phon-068.1, Vt-281.1-Vt-281.274, DVD-121.1-DVD-121.17, MP-075.1-MP-07.17)
Scope and Contents
Series VII, AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, 1965-2013 (#T-519.1-T-519.1166, CD-93.1-CD-93.87, Phon-068.1, Vt-281.1-Vt-281.274, DVD-121.1-DVD-121.17, MP-075.1-MP-07.17), contains audio and video recordings in various formats, including reel to reel tapes, audio cassettes, compact discs, a phonograph record, videotapes, DVDs, and motion pictures, which document the debate between pro-choice and pro-life groups regarding the use of contraceptives and medical abortion procedures.
Audio recordings chronicle Baird's involvement in the debate through speeches and his participation in debates at universities, high schools, and on radio programs broadcast throughout the United States. Recordings of radio programs are often followed by listeners' questions and comments. Among the radio show recordings are several episodes of Voice of Freedom that aired on WALE in Greenfield, Rhode Island, which were hosted by Baird. Other recordings include sessions conducted at pro-choice and pro-life conferences, such as sessions on pro-life sidewalk counseling (pro-life), sessions on serving as a clinic escort (pro-choice), or political activism (pro-choice/pro-life).
Among the recordings are sessions from National Right to Life (NRL) conferences, including "Cases before the Court," "Regaining the Moral High Ground," "Judicial Elections," "Campus Connections," and "Changing Heart and Minds with Pro-life Education." Also included are pre-recorded pro-life messages and notices of protests that individuals could telephone to listen to, including Pro-Life Action League News (mainly recorded by Joseph Scheidler) and Voice of Life News; published pro-life recordings of Roman Catholic priest Father Frank Pavone; and several advertisements for the Parents Aid Society.
Audio recordings also document conversations at Baird's offices or clinics between Baird and/or staff and women seeking abortion and/or adoption information; between Baird and/or staff and male partners, friends, or parents of pregnant women seeking similar information; and between Baird and his family members regarding family dynamics.
Video recordings consist of material similar to the audio recordings, but also include recordings of local and national news programs and talk shows; films depicting the gestation of the fetus and the birthing process, such as The Biology of Prenatal Development (pro-choice) and Live From the Womb (pro-life); and films depicting abortion procedures, such as The Procedure: the Horror Exposed (pro-life) and Abortion, Beacon Films (pro-choice).
Other video recordings document pro-choice and pro-life demonstrations and protests, including a pro-life protest at the Bill Baird Center in Hempstead, New York, and a protest of Baird's 1970 arrest and conviction in Boston. Additional video recordings include Ortho pharmaceuticals advertisements for contraceptives; political advertisements for Priests for Life; a Playtex advertisement for bras and girdles; several interviews of Baird; and a recording of several members of the Baird family at a Long Island beach.
Dates
- Creation: 1930-2015
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1963-1993
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Collection is open for research. Researchers must contact Research Services for access to audiovisual material.
Folders #17.5-17.7, 18.5-18.6, 19.1-19.2, 20.6-20.7, 20.9, 21.1-21.7, 22.1-22.8, 26.1-26.6, 27.2-27.9, 27.11-27.13, 30.1, 38.12-39.1 contain personal medical information or social security numbers and are closed as noted.
Original letters in folders #52.4-55.1, 56.11, 131.3-131.4, 133.1-133.2, 134.2-134.3 from women seeking information about abortion or discussing abortions they had are closed as noted. Redacted copies are provided.
Folders #143.1-152.4, 204.4, 204.9, 205.2, 205.6, 206.7, 208.7, 208.9, 208.10, 208.12, 208.14, 208.16, 209.1-210.2, 211.11, 211.13, 229.10, 229.13, 231.2, 235.5, 235.6, 238.1-238.3, 245.1-245.3, 245.10, 266.8, 270.5, 280.1-306.8, 312.1-334.7, 335CB-336CB contain patient or employee information and are closed as noted.
T-519.803, T-519.867, and T-519.883 are closed until the death of Bill Baird. T-519.885 is clossed until the death of Nancy Klein. T-519.483 is closed until January 1, 2077. T-519.748 is closed until January 1, 2044. T-519.839 and T-519.842 are closed until January 1, 2066. T-519.841 is closed until January 1, 2062. T-519.850 and T-519.853 are closed until January 1, 2063. T-519.855 is closed January 1, 2056. T-519.862-T-519.866 are closed until January 1, 2089. T-519.873 is closed until January 1, 2080. T-519.881 is closed until January 1, 2052. T-519.886 is closed until January 1, 2059.
Extent
205.09 linear feet ((436 file boxes, 3 half file boxes, 4 card boxes, 9 folio boxes, 4 folio+ boxes, 4 oversize boxes) plus 3 supersize boxes, 2 roll boxes, 79 photograph folders, 1 folio photograph folder, 1 folio+ photograph folder, 1166 audiotapes, 274 videotapes, 87 CDs, 17 DVDs, 17 motion pictures, 1 phonograph record, 7 objects)Physical Location
Collection stored off site: researchers must request access 36 hours before use.
Creator
- From the Collection: Baird, Bill (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository
The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.