The (fat) body and the archive: Toward the creation of a fat community archive

ABSTRACT

The author aims to address and analyze the existence of fat bodies in the memory space of the “archive.” Utilizing the work of Allan Sekula, the author will propose that systems of classification within the photographic archive contribute to a “shadow archive” that position some bodies as a deviant “Other.” The author, taking this approach of discussing both the physical and metaphysical impact of archiving, turns to the inaccurate and negative representation of the fat person in the photographic archive as seen most obviously in the archetypal “headless fatty” as described by Charlotte Cooper. In this case study, the author considers how the negative interpretations of fat people as detrimental to society are maintained and further propagated in the historical record by the type of information that is archived about them. Michelle Caswell defined this kind of systemic misrepresentation in the archive as “symbolic annihilation” meaning that marginalized groups, like fat people, are erased or trivialized in mainstream archives. The author discusses the Stocky Bodies photo archive as an example of resistance to the monolithic understanding of fat people’s lives. To best counter the official archive’s silences however, the author ultimately proposes the creation of a fat community archive. In this independent grassroots based archive, fat people would have control over their records and be able to amend places in the collective memory where their narratives have been obscured.

KEYWORDS:

• Collective memory
• community archives
• “headless fatty”
• photography
• temporality

Notes

1. Here, I use the term official archive to refer to those archives that claim “neutral objectivity” and are intertwined with state power. These archives, as described by Howard Zinn (1977), “perpetuate the political and economic status quo” and do not challenge the hegemony of certain narratives (e.g., White, male, cisgender, thin, able-bodied) within the historical record.

2. While there is no standard definition of collective memory, it is generally agreed upon that it is a type of memory that transcends the individual and is shared among groups. What is saved in collective memory (such as certain people and events) Pierre Nora (1996) argued, is decided on by those in power, making collective memory an object and a tool of power. Barbie Zelizer (1995) summarized the social constructivist view through noting collective memory “becomes implicated in range of other activities having as much to do with identity formation, power and authority, cultural norms, and social interaction as with the simple act of recall” (214).

3. Stock images refer to outtakes or unused photos from commercial photoshoots that are licensed for less than the cost of producing new photographs. As the industry evolved, stock photos, although still not taken for a specific assignment, began to cater to certain niche collections, such as medical imagery (Peres 2007).

4. This section does not mean to suggest that this project is the only example of fat activists exposing oppressive structures and proposing their own narratives in response. Rather, Stocky Bodies is more recognizable as a challenge to the official archive.

5. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the no longer online Largesse archives (which is partially accessible through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine) which held critical fat activist texts, such as the Fat Underground’s Fat Liberation Manifesto. The ideal community archive would recover and host these materials.

6. This section acknowledges that “community” is not easily defined and would need to be the subject of discussion.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Pratt

Laura Pratt is a recent graduate of Auburn University, where she earned a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Art History. Her current research focuses on community archiving practices and the commodification of body positivity.