Film Historian Cari Beauchamp Appointed Resident Scholar of Mary Pickford Foundation

Just in time for The Film Preservation Blogathon, Deadline reveals that award-winning film historian Cari Beauchamp has been appointed Resident Scholar of the Mary Pickford Foundation effective immediately. She will work alongside Elaina Archer, the recently named Director of Archive and Legacy, to "assist the Foundation in creating an online clearing house and research center that will feature access to the vast collections of original videos and writings as well as photograph collections, film clips and historical material on Mary Pickford." The pair will also work on "developing a wide range of projects to educate current and future generations through public lectures, screenings, community education programs and more."

Beauchamp is a fantastic pick for the job, as the historian and author is one of most well-regarded specialists on the topic women in silent films. In 2011, she was honored with an unprecedented second Film Scholarship by the Academy for her work on Gloria Swanson. Aside from penning four books, she also writes and produces documentaries, writes for "Vanity Fair," serves as a judge for the Los Angeles Times Book Awards, and is considered an expert historian on the topic of documentaries.

Per their interim website, "the goal of the Mary Pickford Foundation is to further the film pioneer's commitment to her craft, her community and her philanthropy, and to inspire future generations of women and filmmakers. Continuing the Foundation's past efforts, we plan to create an online clearing house and research center that will feature access to the vast collections of original videos and writings as well as photograph collections, film clips and historical material on Mary Pickford. We will also provide a legacy page that will feature original writings by our resident scholar, Cari Beauchamp, and those of visiting writers about the tremendous impact Mary and her colleagues had on the film industry. In addition, we will continue our development of a wide range of projects including screenings, lectures, community education programs and more."

Read more about Pickford and her incredible legacy after the break!

Pickford was a Canadian-American motion picture actress who became a star through her incredible work in 52 feature films, and is widely considered to be one of the most important female figures to ever work in Hollywood. Not just famous of her screen work, Pickford was also an ambitious and forward-thinking businesswoman; she co-founded the film studio United Artists, was one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and used her contract demands to change the way the industry worked.

Pickford retired from acting in 1933, but she continued to produce films for United Artists. She and Chaplin remained partners in the company for decades, until he left in 1955 and she followed in 1956.

A feature film about Pickford, based on the book "Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood," was recently announced. Hopefully, the finished film will inspire more people to learn about this incredible actress and woman.

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