Jeannette Wachter Johnson Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of home movies by Jeannette Wachter Johnson, who recorded the people, places, and traditions of the Frederick, Maryland region. Examples of some of the events and places she has videotaped include church services at Evangelical Reformed UCC, Trinity Chapel, Frederick Church of the Brethren (FCOB), Zion Church in Middletown, Episcapal Church in Frederick City, Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Carroll Manor Catholic Church. Footage includes Frederick County carnivals, festivals, and fairs as well as historical society meetings, community workshops, and more. Her work represents a community-centered historical record created from within the community itself, as she documented her church, family, and friends.
Dates
- 1986 - 2016
Conditions Governing Access
Local access is restricted due to the fragile nature of the materials and amount of staff available. Local research is available for a fee and must be scheduled far in advance. Access to digitized reproductions of materials is available to researchers on demand. If an item is not yet digitized, there is a fee and waiting period. Please contact avtech@marmia.org for more information.
Biographical / Historical
Jeannette Rhoads Wachter was born in 1938 in Frederick, Maryland where her family lineage dates back over three generations. Other Frederick-based families in relation with the Wachter-Johnsons include the Rhoads, Groves, Zimmermans, Saylors, Shafers, and Toms. Jeannette Johnson is a lifelong member of the Evangelical Reformed UCC. She has associations with the Clover Hill Home Makers club, Organic Gardeners club, Beekeepers Association, several choirs, and has a family business, Wachter Properties.
Beginning in the 1980s as an active community member, mother, and grandmother, Jeannette Wachter Johnson, captured community life through photography and videography, recording cultural events, civic meetings, ceremonies, performances, and everyday moments that reflect the evolving identity of the region of Frederick, Maryland.
Extent
2000 Videocassette
28 Cubic Feet : Paper
11 Files : Digital reproductions of video
Language of Materials
English
May Contain Harmful Content
- Harmful Content (general) Please read our Statement on Harmful Language and Content in Records at https://marmia.org/statement-on-harmful-language-and-content-in-records/
Arrangement
Chronological
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The films were donated to MARMIA by Jeannette Wachter Johnson on February 1, 2026.
Processing Information
The "Family note" field contains information provided by the Johnson family's notes and indexes.
When there is no title available, one is created based on the majority of content on the tape followed by the word "scenes."
This collection is in continous processing and as items become digitized, descriptions will be updated.
- Title
- Jeannette Wachter Johnson Collection
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Joana Stillwell
- Date
- 2026-07-30
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive Repository