The Louise Brooks Society™ website was launched in the summer of 1995. That makes it an internet pioneer. The LBS was the first Louise Brooks website, and one of the earliest sites devoted to silent film or just about any actor or actress. The LBS was also an early adopter of social media, even before the term existed. At various points in the past, the LBS had its own message board, web ring (remember those?), Geocities and Tribe.net pages, Yahoo Group, and MySpace account. These “satellite sites” were a means to get the word out.
Some of its earliest efforts at reaching fans were through messages on bulletin board systems (BBS), listserv’s and newsgroups (Usenet), as well as on AOL, Prodigy, and The Well, back when these platforms were dominant. The earliest archived newsgroup post mentioning the Louise Brooks Society, from October 27, 1995, announces the website. Another, a query from the LBS asking about a screening of Pandora’s Box in Poland, dates to January 29, 1996. Another, from December 31, 1996, announces the move of the LBS to its new domain at pandorasbox.com, where it has resided since. Each of these posts are now part of the Google groups / Usenet Archive. Each prove the longtime use of the wordmark “Louise Brooks Society”.
The LBS joined Twitter in January 2009, tweeted thousands of times, and gained more than 5000 followers. Unfortunately, the LBS Twitter account has been permanently taken down due to the actions of an individual who claims the LBS has infringed upon their intellectual property — as if they own the very name of “Louise Brooks.” The LBS Facebook page goes back to 2010. It had also gained thousands of followers and been “liked” thousands of times – and yet, it too was permanently disabled due to the actions of the same individual. The original LBS Instagram account dates to 2015, and it too had proven popular with more than 5300 followers until it was also permanently suspended due to the unwarranted claims of that same disagreeable individual. The LBS relaunched an Instagram account in 2023. And it too managed to quickly gain some 500 followers before being shut down, yet again. After having its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts shut down TWICE, the LBS has given up on these platforms, at least for the time being. (Twitter is a shit show, anyways.) Sadly, I have also lost my personal Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts following yet more complaints from the same individual merely because I stated the indisputable fact that I started the Louise Brooks Society.
Other social media accounts and internet platforms belonging to the LBS have also been attacked. Some have been shut-down, like its Etsy shop and CafePress store. The latter was launched in 2002, and were the source of the popular pin-back buttons sometimes sold and/or given away at events. The columns below lists the current LBS social media accounts. Please take a moment to explore those that might be of interest, and be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, or FOLLOW any and all that you wish. The LBS Flickr page, for example, has pictures from past LBS events and happenings, while the LBS YouTube and Soundcloud pages feature rare video and audio. Unfortunately, those marked with a bold strikethru have been taken down, and all their valuable content lost, due to the action of the same individual. Those marked with an * have been attacked, and have managed to hang-on only after putting up a fight.
Thomas Gladysz
Director, Louise Brooks Society
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AboutMe
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LibraryThing
LinkedIn * Patreon *
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YouTube * |
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I spent decades building up this website. And from what fans have told me, I brought some joy to the world. Below are all that remains
of the wreckage brought by one individual’s malicious attacks on the Louise Brooks Society and its social media accounts.
When the LBS lost its Twitter and Facebook accounts, it lost more than a decade’s worth of outreach, engagement, correspondence, announcements, promotion, work, and friendship. Both accounts had more than 5000 followers, individuals who wanted to learn more about Louise Brooks through the social media platforms begun by the Louise Brooks Society. Regrettably, these channels have been silenced…. to everyone’s loss. In the wake of these attacks, I appreciate all those who reached out and expressed their sympathy, dismay, and even anger. Pictured above is some of the wreckage. On one platform, namely LinkTree, I was barred from linking to the Louise Brooks Society website, my LBS blog, and even my “In the News” page which listed media about the LBS following — all due to the complaints from that same individual. Certainly, news sources (like the New York Times or USA Today) are not subject to take down notices — though if someone complains, they can be on LinkTree! That doesn’t seem right to me…. to me, it seems like information suppression. Notice the picture of me in the bottom right hand corner? Believe it or not, I was barred from displaying that picture on CafePress because Louise Brooks is pictured in the background — even though that is MY picture of ME showing MY possessions. It is as if someone is trying to erase the Louise Brooks Society from the internet.
On a happier note, I have met (either online or in person) a lot of great people who are fans of Louise Brooks. A few knew or met the actress. This is the Louise Brooks Society. The enthusiasm and generosity of Brooks’ many fans have contributed to the growth of this website. Individuals from around the globe have shared rare material. Others have performed research, translated articles, visited libraries and archives, or sent images and interesting, sometimes revelatory information. The LBS ACKNOWLEDGES their efforts. Thank you for your interest in Louise Brooks and the Louise Brooks Society. To learn more about the LBS, including its history, its accomplishments, its mission statement, and its awards and media recognition, please visit the ABOUT page.
The Louise Brooks Society would love to hear from you. Please visit our CONTACT page to send a message. Or, if interested, check out our PRIVACY POLICY.
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