Louise Brooks Society celebrates 30 years online

The Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com) celebrates 30 years on the world wide web!

Launched in 1995 (the same year as Amazon and eBay), this pioneering fan site was the first devoted to the silent film star, and one of the very first devoted to any aspect of film history. Today, it continues to attract a loyal following and is one of the largest, more popular, and longest lasting websites devoted to any early movie star -- silent or sound.

Since its inception, the Louise Brooks Society has served as a resource for fans, scholars, creatives, and cinephiles from around the world. The site's online archive contains a treasure trove of information, including vintage articles, little seen photographs, rare ephemera, and more. Its filmography, which surpasses both IMDb and the AFI in detail, presents an in-depth look at each of Brooks' films including Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl, and Beggars of Life. 

There are pages devoted to other aspects of Brooks' life including her early days as a Denishawn dancer (the basis for the PBS film, The Chaperone), her little documented time in London, her brief affair with Charlie Chaplin, and later years as the author of Lulu in Hollywood.

Also featured on the site is an extensive day-by-day chronology of the actress' life which the Irish Times called "extraordinary". Another unique section on the site -- "Homage to Lulu" -- surveys the many movie characters, comix, rock music, fiction, fashion, street graffiti, tattoo art and even perfume which celebrates the actress. At more than 260 pages, the site has become the go-to destination for anyone interested in the life and work of this singular star. 

In 1998, the popularity of the Louise Brooks Society website helped inspire the Emmy-nominated TCM documentary, Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu. Since then, the site led a grass-roots campaign to bring Lulu in Hollywood, as well as the Barry Paris biography of the actress, back into print. It has also involved itself in the preservation of Brooks' films, curated exhibits, sponsored author talks and screenings, and conducted research which has led to a number of significant discoveries -- most notably rare audio recordings of Brooks' radio work in the early 1960s. 

The Louise Brooks Society maintains a long-running blog -- since 2002, and recently, it established a Substack account featuring long-form pieces. In 2010, the LBS published the Louise Brooks edition of Margarete Bohme’s bestselling book, "The Diary of a Lost Girl," which served as the basis for the 1929  film. Notably, it was the book’s first English-language publication in more than 100 years. The Louise Brooks Society has published four other books on the actress and her films, with more in the works. 

Over the years, the Louise Brooks Society has been acclaimed by all manner of print and online media, including USA Today and Wired magazine, who described the site as "exemplary." Similarly, the New York Times stated, “The Louise Brooks Society is an excellent homage to the art of the silent film as well as one of its most luminous stars.”

The Louise Brooks Society continues to attract a loyal following who share a passion for early cinema. On a personal note, I would like to express my gratitude to the dedicated community that has supported the site over the past three decades. The internet has changed a lot in the last 30 years. It hasn't always been easy to maintain a site and attract new visitors. Nevertheless, I am proud of how far the Louise Brooks Society has come since its began ever so long ago. This 30-year journey is a testament to the legacy of Louise Brooks and the enduring appeal of classic cinema.

As the Louise Brooks Society begins its fourth decade online, it remains committed to its mission of preserving the memory of one of the most iconic figures in film history. With a renewed focus on education and outreach, the website aims to introduce a new generation of film enthusiasts to Louise Brooks and the timeless allure of silent movies. Among the forthcoming projects with which it is currently involved is a disc of Brooks' "lost" films (in conjunction with the San Francisco Film Preserve) and a first ever e-book edition of Brooks' Lulu in Hollywood (in conjunction with the Estate of Louise Brooks). 

For more information about the Louise Brooks Society, including a detailed history and mission statement, visit its About page. Or, check out this online scrapbook of images from the history of the LBS.

Thomas Gladysz, founding Director of the Louise Brooks Society, is open to interviews and media / blogger / podcaster inquiries. Let's talk Lulu!

“Nobody knows more about Louise Brooks than Thomas Gladysz. Having founded the Louise Brooks Society in 1995, he has spent more than two decades researching her life and work, curating memorabilia and writing about this most fascinating of silent era actresses.” -- Pamela Hutchinson, Silent London

 

"...  if there exists a No. 1 fan and a No. 1 chronicler of Brooks, it’s Thomas Gladysz, the founder and longtime champion of the Louise Brooks Society.” -- Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

 

THE LEGAL STUFF: The Louise Brooks Society™ blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society  (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2025. Further unauthorized use prohibited. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.