In a series of Philadelphia apartments, surrounded by towering stacks of videotapes, a quiet, formidable woman was undertaking one of the most monumental and eccentric archival projects in history. For over 30 years, Marion Stokes hit “record” on her VCRs and never stopped. She was a librarian, an activist, a television producer, and a woman who understood, long before most, that the flickering images on the television screen were not just ephemeral entertainment, but the first draft of history. Her story is a testament to a singular, obsessive vision and a profound belief in the power of media to shape—and reveal—the truth.