Old Women’s Project and Cynthia Rich Papers
Women’s Museum of California Library and Archives
Old Women’s Project and Cynthia Rich Papers
1995-2010
Collection Overview
Title: Old Women’s Project and Cynthia Rich Papers
Accession Number: AC-032
Prepared by: Briar Fox
Head Archivist: Julia Friedman
Date Acquired: April 19, 2012
Date Processed: March 18, 2019
Location: Women’s Museum of California, San Diego, CA
Language: Collection material is in English, Japanese, and Spanish
Extent: 1 box, 1 photo album, and 1 scrapbook, this collection was donated by Cynthia Rich in 2012.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions: Open to research
Use Restrictions: None
Subjects/Names
Cynthia Rich
Barbara Macdonald
Old Women’s Project
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
OWP
OLOC
Subject/Topical
Women
Ageism
Lesbian
LGBT
Anti-war
Activism
Form/Genre
Correspondence
Newsletters
Publications
Newspapers
Magazines
Pamphlets
Photo Album
Scrapbook
Cassette Tape
DVD
CD-R
Historical Note
The Old Women’s Project is an activist group located in San Diego consisting of three women - Mannie Garza, Janice Keaffaber, and Cynthia Rich. The group was formed in 2001, inspired by the work of Rich’s late partner Barbara Macdonald on ageism. They strive to show that being old and being called old is not shameful or something to be afraid of. While the OWP, through their visibility as old women, strive to normalize aging for women, the focus of their demonstrations has been varied. They want to make clear that “old women have [their] own personal stake (...) in all issues of social justice.” While the OWP is a self-contained organization closed to new members, they frequently organize demonstrations throughout San Diego that encourage women to take part in activism.
Brief History of the Old Women’s Project and its Activities
Cynthia Rich was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1933. A lifelong political activist, Rich became involved in the struggle against ageism after meeting Barbara Macdonald, who would become her partner of twenty years. In addition to her writing with Macdonald on ageism, she wrote an account of her time living in the Anza Borrego desert, Desert Years: Undreaming the American Dream. Rich is currently living in San Diego, California.
Barbara Macdonald was born in Pomona, California in 1913. She and Rich met in 1974, shortly after Macdonald had retired. They met at a feminist writing workshop Rich was teaching in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and soon became friends and then partners. Being an older woman involved in activism weighed on Macdonald, and led her to write the essays that would later be published in 1983 along with essays from Rich as Look Me in the Eye: Old Women, Aging, and Ageism. The book would become influential in feminist theory and was translated into Japanese in 1995. She frequently spoke at lesbian and feminist organizations and conferences, including the UN Conference on Women in China in 1995. Macdonald died in 2000, of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Rich continued her work with Macdonald on ageism in the form of the Old Women’s Project. Founded in 2001 with Mannie Garza and Janice Keaffaber, their first work as a group being the Women's Mobilization for Low-Cost Housing on International Women's Day in 2001. They have organized various demonstrations, the largest of which drew over two hundred women. In addition to their own efforts, they frequently took part in activism from other groups, always carrying their puppet, called POWER (Pissed Old Woman Engendering Revolution), as an emblem of sorts. With their goals of making old women visible and an emphasis on the idea that women’s issues must include old women, the OWP have organized for a variety of movements ranging from worker’s rights to protesting the Iraq War.
Summary of the Collection
The Old Women’s Project and Cynthia Rich Papers consist of one box divided into four series, a photo album, and a scrapbook. Containing material from 1996-2010, the collection contains materials primarily pertaining to the activities of the Old Women’s Project, as well as materials related to Rich’s life and relationship with Barbara Macdonald. The Collection consists of speech and discussion transcripts, handouts utilized in OWP activism, newspaper and magazine articles discussing the OWP, interviews, printed email correspondences, printed versions of the OWP website, photographs, as well as a DVD containing the OWP documentary. Additionally, the Collection contains Rich’s reflections on her life and work with her partner, Barbara Macdonald - book tours, obituaries, and speech transcripts.
Container List: Box and Folder Material
Box 1
Series 1: Cynthia Rich and Barbara Macdonald
Series 1: Box 1: Folder 1: Rich and Macdonald Collaborative Documents (1995-2000)
Series 1: Box 1: Folder 2: “Look Me in the Eye” Book Tours (Rich)
Series 1: Box 1: Folder 3: Rich’s Talks on Macdonald’s Life and Work
Series 2: Old Women’s Project Activities
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 4: Old Women’s Project Demonstrations
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 5: Old Women’s Project Demonstration Handouts (Anti-war, ageism)
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 6: Old Women’s Project Demonstration Handouts (Anti-war, ageism)
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 7: Rich’s Lectures on University Campuses
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 8: “Look Us In The Eye: The Old Women’s Project” Documentary
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 9: Old Women’s Project Photographs
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 10: Old Women’s Project Professional Correspondences
Series 2: Box 1: Folder 11: Old Women’s Project Professional Correspondences
Series 3: Old Women’s Project In the Press and Collaborators
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 12: OWP News Coverage
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 13: OWP News Coverage
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 14: OWP Multilingual News Coverage
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 15: OWP Website (1 of 2)
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 16: OWP Website (2 of 2)
Series 3: Box 1: Folder 17: Women’s Action Coalition Documents
Series 4: Scrapbook and Photo Album
Series 4: Box 1: Photo Album 1
Series 4: Scrapbook 1
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Series 1: Cynthia Rich and Barbara Macdonald
Series one contains materials from 1996-2000, the end of Macdonald’s life. Included is a transcript from Rich following Macdonald’s keynote in Beijing, on worker’s rights violations. Also included is a copy of “The OLOC Reporter” from December 1995; scripts from “The Crone Show;” and a speech from Macdonald’s celebration of life by Rich.
Also contained in this series are materials relating to book tours following the release of a new edition of Look Me In The Eye in 2001. Included are flyers, newspaper clippings announcing events, and transcripts of talks from Rich.
Also included in this series are Rich’s speeches and discussions regarding MacDonald's life and work. The keynote address from a 2001 OLOC conference and a transcript of a workshop at Denver’s Metro College in 2003 are contained in this series.
Series 2: Old Women’s Project Activities
Series two contains materials created by the Old Women’s Project to support their activism. Contained within this series are speech transcripts, schedules, and handouts given or used at various Old Women’s Project demonstrations. Included in this series is a handwritten list of OWP participation in activism from 2003-2006. Also included are various handouts used in OWP activism - most printed on white or colored printer paper, also includes stickers. Subjects range from Iraq War protests to combating ageism.
Included in this series are Rich’s lectures on university campuses, some printed and some handwritten. Includes student responses to lectures and flyers promoting her appearance. Also includes a CD containing a powerpoint presentation on “Womyn & Ageism.”
Also contained in this series are materials relating to the documentary “Look Us In The Eye: The Old Women’s Project,” directed by Jennifer Abod. Contains documentary DVD. Includes magazine and newspaper coverage of the documentary, with interviews from Abod. Contains lists of showings and awards, flyers promoting showings, copies of award certificates, university student responses to the documentary, and email responses between Abod and others.
Also included in this series are a large number of personal photos of the Old Women’s Project. Subjects are the members of the OWP, either preparing for events or at demonstrations themselves. Upwards of fifty photos in the collection.
Contained in this series are a number of professional correspondences from the OWP. Included are letters, but the contents are primarily emails. Also included are correspondences relating to the OWP appearance at an NCA conference, and a boycott at the conference location.
Series 3: Old Women’s Project In the Press and Collaborators
Series three of box one contains publications covering the OWP and Rich’s work on ageism. Included are newspapers clippings of articles and photos, magazine copies and clippings, and copies of articles. Included are interviews with Rich as well. Also included in this series are multilingual materials in Japanese and Spanish. Japanese materials are articles as well as a copy of a Japanese feminist publication on ageism. Spanish materials are a speech by Rich for a Spanish-language classroom.
Also in Series 3 are printouts from the OWP website. The website, currently still active, contains a statement of purpose for the OWP, articles on ageism and activism, and OWP appearances in the media. Also included is the OWP email mailing list.
Also included are papers relating to collaboration with the Women’s Action Coalition. Flyers and schedules are included.
Series 4: Scrapbook and Photo Album
Series four also contains a small photo album holding photographs documenting Old Women’s Project activities. The photo album is housed within box one.
Series four of box one contains a scrapbook with photos and paper memorabilia from Old Women’s Project activities. The scrapbook is not housed within box one.