Following is a response to a query with respect to photographs in AA from our GSO Archivist, Amy Filiatreau.
"Hello and greetings from the GSO Archives! Thanks for writing, and for your thoughtful questions. It’s a pleasure to be in touch with you. I too am greatly looking forward to my trip to Toronto.
This is indeed a difficult and interesting topic, with opinions that vary greatly depending on the group conscience of any given Area or other group of AA members. AA members often photograph one another, and these images often end up in the Archives, leaving archivists to wonder if or how to use them!
With regard to displaying photographs of AA members, I can say that here in the GSO Archives we display photographs of our co-founders, as well as a few other early AA members such as Ebby T. As you likely know, we also send out photographs of our co-founders to those who are interested in them, and when Pass It On and Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers were published, they printed photographs of our co-founders.
Though we do have many photographs of other AA members in our collections, both alive and deceased (such as past delegates, trustees, GSO general managers, or staff) we don’t display these photographs of other AA members here. This is in accordance with the Board’s Anonymity Policy, which I’ve attached below this message. Our large photograph collection of people remains largely unused, as one might expect. We tend to use photographs of AA literature, signage, meeting places, and other images that don’t show the faces of AA members. Our photograph collection is only open to members, and usually would require the permission of the trustees’ Archives Committee to do any extensive research using our photo collections.
However, in my experience most of the Area archives I have visited, or when I have seen their traveling displays at events, there are often framed photographs of significant members in that Area: longtimers, or those active in service, who made an impact on the area. I’ve seen archival displays that contain photographs of members as well, including albums such as those you mention, with personal, candid photographs of AA members. For example, I’ve seen this in Area 18-Idaho (whose archives are housed at the Central Office in Boise); various district and Area archives within SENY (at a SENY convention); Northern New Jersey’s archives traveling display; and at the Akron Intergroup Archives, where a very large exhibit shows the faces of several early AA members from the Akron/Cleveland area. People do love looking at these photographs and albums. There are other Areas that do not display these kinds of photos. Each Area has to come to its own group conscience regarding whether revealing the faces of AA members, in areas where non-AAs might visit, constitutes a violation of the 11th and 12th Traditions.
You also mention photographing oral history interviewees – this practice also varies from place to place. Some areas choose to videotape the oral histories they gather, rather than audio-only. Others do take photographs of the members, for the historical record. Many times I’ve received a CD with an oral history interview, along with a photograph of the interviewee. Others choose not to take photographs. Here at the GSO Archives we’ve long had a policy of not videotaping oral history interviewees..."
G.S.O. Public Information policy on the Co-Founders Posthumous Anonymity, approved by the General Service Board, July 30, 2001:
"The G.S.O. Public Information policy should maintain the anonymity of all A.A. members living or dead, including the co-founders, to the maximum extent possible.
The Public Information desk of G.S.O. exists in relation to the general public as a source of information regarding the recovery program and the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, not as a source of information regarding individual members of Alcoholics Anonymous, living or dead.
To the extent that non-anonymous information concerning our co-founders exists in A.A. literature, which is already available to the general public, inquiries may be directed to that information. The Public Information desk can also provide copies of such information to the media. Addition information should not be volunteered or provided, out of respect for A.A.’s traditional principles of personal anonymity, and the honor accorded those principles by the co-founders themselves as members of the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
No information should be provided regarding any other A.A. members, past or present, under any circumstances.”
