Becca Albee Riot Grrrl Collection
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Abstract
Becca Albee is a musician, writer, and visual artist who was active in the early days of the Riot Grrrl movement in Olympia, Washington. This collection is comprised of materials--including original lyric sheets and artwork, posters, photos, and fan mail--pertaining to Ms. Albee's involvement with the bands Excuse 17 and Heartless Martin, as well as a small number of personal papers, ephemera and objects.
Biographical Note
Becca Albee was involved in the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 1990's in Olympia, Washington. She was a participant in many early Riot Grrrl meetings, collaborated on Riot Grrrl zines, and was a member of two important bands of the time, Excuse 17 and Heartless Martin. These bands, along with others like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, contributed to the feminist, activist, DIY culture that was evolving in Olympia at the time.
Founded in 1993, Excuse 17 was comprised of Becca Albee, Carrie Brownstein, and CJ Phillips. The band released two full-length albums: Excuse 17 (1994, Chainsaw Records) and Some Friends Are Dangerous (1995, Kill Rock Stars). They also released a split 7" with Lync on Candy-Ass Records. Also in 1993, Becca Albee teamed up with Corin Tucker to form a one-off collaboration called Heartless Martin, releasing a cassette on Chainsaw Records.
Albee graduated from the Evergreen State College in 1995. She earned her MFA at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she studied with Tammy Rae Carland and Robert Blanchon. Currently, Albee is an Assistant Professor of Art teaching photography in the Art Department and Electronic Design and Multimedia Program at The City College of New York, CUNY. She lives in Brooklyn and is an active visual artist.
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Arrangement
Materials are arranged primarily by topic, much as they were received. The collection was processed at the folder level and loose items were given preservation attention as needed.
See the Scope and Content Notes for more specific details about each series.
Scope and Content
The Becca Albee Riot Grrrl Collection contains materials that document Albee's involvement in the Riot Grrrl-inspired bands Excuse 17 and Heartless Martin. Also included are personal papers and objects related to Albee's visual art and writing. The bulk of the materials are from 1993-1995.
The collection is divided into four series:
Series I: Music: This series is comprised of materials directly related to Becca Albee's musical career including original lyric sheets, fan mail, gig posters, album artwork, and photography.
Subseries A: Excuse 17
Subseries B: Heartless Martin
Series II: Personal: This series contains documentation of Becca Albee's personal work not related to bands including visual art, Riot Grrrl zines, and a series of notepads with messages from Becca and her friends.
Subseries A: Visual Art
Subseries B: Zines
Subseries C: Miscellaneous Papers and Objects
Series III: Media: This series has visual and audio recordings of work by Excuse 17, Lync, Heavens to Betsy as well as film footage taken by Becca Albee.
Subseries A: Access Copies (currently no access copies exist for this collection)
Subseries B: Originals
Oversize Series I: Includes materials too large to be stored in a records carton or photo binder.
Subseries A: Excuse 17
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy for materials in this collection, created by Becca Albee, were not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Becca Albee: Riot Grrrl Papers; MSS 273; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The digital access copies in the collection were created by the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact nyuspecialcollections@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
