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Videos, TV, Documentaries

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The Downtown Pop Underground

In the 1970s, cable TV was a new technology, and video was transmitted via coaxial cable from a central "headend" facility that received signals from satellite dishes and other sources. Early 70s cable was often limited to relaying local stations to homes with poor reception, but later in the decade, this expanded to include more specialized channels, pay-per-view services, and interactive cable systems

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Among the archive’s most personal holdings is a collection of original Videos, many of which trace the progression of photographic sessions from inception to final form. Preserved from nearly every shoot, these instant prints offer spontaneous glimpses into the atmosphere and experimentation behind the lens. Each Polaroid has been retained with curatorial care, ensuring its longevity as both a creative artifact and a tangible link to the process that shaped Matuschka’s most enduring work.

Matuschka interviews Bob Colacello of Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine; Bonwit Teller Bash, 1976. Video: Anton Perich

Matuschka interviews humorist Marshal Efron at Bonwit Teller Bash, 1976. Video: Anton Perich 

  Sydney Carven Milliken Fashion show, 1976.  Video stills by Anton Perich 

Charles James Bustier (1977 )

Charles James fitting Matuschka 1977, Chelsea Hotel, NYC

"She's the Model of The Future"

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Anton Perich Presents: Fashion Mag

​Downtown Freaks Take Over Public Access Television

Among the archive’s unique documentation are videos shot in the 70s by Anton Perich in NYC. Matuschka worked alongsiode Anton in many capacities: model, editor, saleswoman, and collaborator.  These videos trace the progression of cable TV from the early days of underground late night TV and mark the beginining of a new era:  In the 1970s, cable TV was a new technology, and video was transmitted via coaxial cable from a central "headend" facility that received signals from satellite dishes and other sources. Early 70s cable was often limited to relaying local stations to homes with poor reception, but later in the decade, this expanded to include more specialized channels, pay-per-view services, and interactive cable systems. Anton Perich—who documented the scenes at Max’s Kansas City and the Mercer Art Center with his Super 8 film and Portapak video camera—also began making his own public access show, Anton Perich Presents, which debuted in January 1973.

Anton Perich Presents: Matuschka and Michael (1976) 

"I feel like a Yo-Yo in a Windstorm", (-Matuschka) in Anton Perich Studio, NYC, 1976

Title of file is labeled on AirBook: JohnHenleyArchives On powerbook: JHenleyArchives THE MATUSCHKA ARCHIVES As reviewed by John Henley 2017

Movie Still: "Life Is The Main Thing" (1998, Berlin, Germany)

News Reel 1991-1997

​Look at Activist Writing and archive Pitches

Matuschka's photography and activitic works have been prominently featured in some of the world's most respected publications. She has been featured in well over 100 editorial covers, a testament to the widespread recognition of her work. 

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Matuschka's "Beauty Out of Damage" photograph, featured as a  cover story on The New York Times Magazine in 1993, marked a pivotal moment in the discourse surrounding beauty standards, body image, and health and helped launch the breast cancer movement.. The image itself—a striking portrait of Matuschka topless, revealing a mastectomy scar—was a bold statement against the traditional portrayal of women's bodies in media and society. This cover did more than just showcase her work; it challenged and transformed public perceptions of what is considered beautiful. It confronted viewers with the reality many breast cancer survivors face, prompting a critical dialogue on the often overlooked or sanitized aspects of cancer recovery.​The publication led to widespread discussions across various platforms, from television talk shows to academic symposiums, about the stigmatization associated with breast cancer. By bringing such a personal and provocative image to a mainstream audience, Matuschka helped destigmatize the conversation about breast cancer and body image. This exposure was instrumental in increasing awareness and sensitivity, influencing how media outlets portray women with breast cancer and encouraging more stories that focus on real experiences and recovery journeys.

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possibly a clip from VHI Gennie Becker

and cbs sunday morning

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Charlie Rose, 1994

Person of the Week, World-Wide News with Peter Jennings, 1993

The Ruins, 2006

Charles James, 1977

Part Time God Documentary, opening Dutch film festival 1992: Paul Cohen Director

THE BERKSHIRES: LENOX, MASS 1971-1973

Seventeen/Eighteen years old. 

SmithHouse71.jpg

Meets and befriends Ira Cohen, Don Snyder, Gerald Malanga, Beno Friedman, Jason McWhorter amoung others. Becomes a sought after model for photographers and artists in the region.

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Becomes interested in altering and manipulating photographic prints in the darkroom.

First Solo Show of Portraits at the Lenox Library. Reviewed in the Berkshire Eagle. Wins Art Award, graduation, Windsor Mt. 1972. Travels to Europe. Works for renown photographer, Clemens Kalischer at the Image Gallery in Stockbridge, Mass.

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1972 Changes her name again to MATUSCHKA 

MAHWAH NEW JERSEY 1970. Sixteen Years old. Matuschka is enrolled in art classes, poses for photographers and life sketching classes to earn a little bread, while honing her skills in the darkroom and receiving an artistic education hands on. Ironically she becomes a photographer and model simultaneously, learning how to print negatives in a commercial darkroom in Hackensack, N.J. and appreciating photography as an art form. Now a Ward of the State she will soon be shipped off to the Berkshires, where she will attend the Private Prep School, Windsor Mountain and meet some of the most remarkable artists, writers and poets of her times.

Summer of 1971 Hitch-hikes to California.

Quits Waitressing.

The Ruins, 2006

Movie Still: "Life Is The Main Thing" (1998, Berlin, Germany)

Part Time God Documentary, opening Dutch film festival 1992

Select TV & Film 

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  • CBS Sunday Morning (2013) – Feature profile

  • Inside Edition (1999, 2013)

  • Extra (1999)

  • Good Morning America

  • CBS This Morning

  • ABC World News Tonight – Peter Jennings’ Person of the Week

  • CNN’s Sonya Live

  • Ted Koppel’s Nightline

  • The Charlie Rose Show

  • Lifetime’s Queen Show

  • Fox 5 News – One in Nine: Breast Cancer Alert

  • WGBH Boston – Greater Boston with Emily Rooney (2004)

  • PBS Health Chronicles – From Heartbreak to Hope

Talk Shows (1990s):

  • Phil Donahue Show

  • Maury Povich Show

  • John and Leeza

  • The Home Show

  • Jerry Springer Show

  • Rolanda

  • Leeza

  • VH1’s Fashion TV with Jeanne Beker

  • AM Philadelphia

Canada & International:

  • Vanity Insanity – Prime Time TV (Canada, globally syndicated)

  • Arte Cultural Channel (France/Germany) – 25 and Over

  • Scottish Women (Glasgow, 1995)

  • ZDF German TV – Life Is the Main Thing (1999), later screened at MoMA NYC

  • Premiere, Schreinmakers, Nacht Show (Germany)

  • People Behind the Headlines (Holland)​

Documentaries

  • American Swing (2009) - Amazon Prime Video. The Seventies were sexy and sleazy. At the epicenter of it all was Plato's Retreat, the controversial, first-ever swingers club. American Swing brings this enigmatic epic of excess to the screen for the first time.merican Swing (2009) – Documentary on Plato’s Retreat (interview with Matuschka)

  • Part-Time God (1992) – Visual essay by Paul Cohen, Dutch Documentary Festival selection

  • Exposure (1997) – Narrated by Olivia Newton-John; features Matuschka, Rachel Carson, Bella Abzug, and Dr. Devra Davis, exploring environmental links to disease​

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Radio

  • The Front Porch (NHPR) – Interview with John Walters (October 2004)

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Online

  • The Ruins (2006), YouTube Video. Began as a soundtrack written by Matuschka in the 1980s, paired with self-portraits in abandoned spaces. She revisited the theme at a crumbling castle in Lenox, MA, filmed by Thomas Halaczinsky. Featuring past footage by Dutch filmmaker Paul Cohen, the piece showcases Matuschka’s 20th-century art. 

  • Chelsea Hotel (1977), Youtube Video. Rare 1977 footage captures Charles James showcasing his iconic gowns on model Matuschka at the Chelsea Hotel, filmed by Anton Perich for his cable series "Fashion Magazine" featuring an interview by R. Couri Hay.

  • Beauty Out of Damage (1993), Youtube Video. Matuschka’s self-portrait appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine, sparking global attention, 12 awards, and record reader responses. Widely covered on TV and published internationally, the image became one of the most iconic of its time. It continues to appear in academic journals and was named by LIFE as one of “100 Pictures That Changed the World.”

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