Preserving Trans Histories: The Marsha P. Johnson Archival Film Project

Artist and writer Tourmaline has spent nearly two decades uncovering the history and uplifting the legacy of trans icon Marsha P. Johnson. Tourmaline is currently working with BCRW to catalog newly discovered film footage from Johnson’s life and to produce a new short film in collaboration with Johnson’s family.

Prior to her time in NYC, Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, NJ where she was born in 1945 and lived until 1963. With Johnson’s family as the audience guides, Tourmaline is directing this new short film to document Johnson’s childhood in Elizabeth. In the film, Johnson’s family members share their memories of Marsha and their dreams for how her hometown can be recognized as a powerful component of the global phenomenon that is Marsha P. Johnson. The film foregrounds how everyday people and places have a huge impact on the world, one that is continuing to unfold.

BCRW Research Assistants are playing crucial roles in the production of the short film, as well as the archival research exploring Johnson’s early years. Working with Tourmaline, BCRW Research Assistants will preserve and log film footage documenting Johnson’s life and performances in New York City in the early 1970s. These early performances document the creative life that Marsha inhabited as a young artist and activist in the gay liberation movement and as part of the performance group Hot Peaches. Together, the footage from the 1970s and the new film will significantly expand our understanding of Johnson’s life and legacy.