Why is fan history so important?
There is a saying: That which does not get recorded ceases to exist. While fandom will (hopefully) be around in one form or another for many more years, without some record of who we were, we run the risk of being misrepresented and dismissed as “those silly women doing silly things”. And being able to point to a 50+ year history of amazing creativity and community may be the best defense against corporations that seek to co-opt and commercialize everything around them. If we want to continue to be free range fans, we may need to show (not tell) the world that we were here and that we deserve to continue to exist without interference from TPTB.