VIDEO DESCRIPTION:

Play, download and edit the free video The Independent Eye Project: Underground Press (1968-1975).

Animation by Mark Neeley
Materials courtesy of Jon Hughes (via Melvin Grier)
Additional photographs & film negatives courtesy of Ken Hawkins
Special thanks to Christopher Smith, Lisa Mauch and Brian Powers at the PLCH

The "Independent Eye" was a progressive, underground counterculture newspaper published out of Cincinnati (via Yellow Springs) circa 1968-1975. The free press publication promoted war resistance, peace offerings and activism related to injustice, civil rights, the women's liberation movement, and multiple other "New Left" sectors. The unique and varied artwork of the paper included local and syndicated political cartoons, linoleum cut prints, collage, lithographs, and creative photographic overlays.

Beginning in November of 2018, Mark Neeley began extensively researching the "Eye" via the rare book room archives of the Public Library of Cincinnati. A culmination of a year's worth of background research and conversations with roughly two dozen original writers/artists/staffers, November 13, 2019 featured a multi-location exhibition and panel discussion of the Eye history project at the main downtown branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati. The panel discussion featured Neeley, founding members of the paper Ellen Bierhorst and Monty Sher, and Jim Tarbell (longtime Cincinnati city council member and former owner of the influential underground music venue: the Ludlow Garage).

Comprehensive overview of project (the cover story of "CityBeat" print publication in October '19): citybeat.com/arts-culture/culture/article/21094548/the-independent-eye-a-look-back-at-cincinnatis-1960s70s-underground-counterculture-newspaper

The project culminated with the creation of a permanent free, public access digitization of the Independent Eye archives: digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll17/search/searchterm/Independent%20Eye%20/field/title/mode/exact/conn/and/order/title/ad/asc

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