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Fredda Weiss Papers

An inventory of her papers at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Cara A. Howe
Date: 2011

Biography

Fredda Weiss (b. 1941) is an Academy Award nominated film producer and costume designer. She graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor with degrees in Art History and Theater, and worked in advertising and costume design before moving into feature film and television production. Her production company is called Rainy Day Productions. When her friends Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis lost their daughter, Alexia, in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, Weiss became involved in producing the film Pan Am 103: The Real Story, based on what the families experienced after the disaster. Over the following three years, Weiss developed the project for NBC with scriptwriter and suspense novelist Robert Crais. As the film was about enter pre-production, NBC cancelled the project.

Scope and Content Note

The Fredda Weiss Papers includes research files and interviews Weiss conducted with the ultimate aim of creating a film about the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and its effects on the families of victims.

The Articles series includes publications of general interest to Pan Am Flight 103. Articles have also been separated by family if they apply to a specific individual.

Within the Audiovisual materials series are interviews conducted by Weiss with victims' family members and others involved with Pan Am Flight 103, as well as recordings of Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. meetings. Interviews and recordings require the permission of the interviewee for viewing or listening.

The Correspondence series contains correspondence with various members of Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. and other family members, as well as correspondence with political figures.

The Photographs series includes images of the town of Lockerbie and surrounding area, Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. meetings, and artwork created by Pan Am 103 bombing victim Kenneth Bissett.

The Subject files series contains a list of the families involved with the film production, the script for the production, and transcripts from some of the interviews Weiss conducted. Additionally, there are files on various legislative actions and family members of victims. Access to interview transcripts requires the permission of the interviewee.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that recordings and transcripts are restricted at the donor's request. Permission to access these materials must be obtained from the interviewee.

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Selected VHS tapes and audiocassette tapes were removed from this collection for inclusion in the Pan Am Flight 103 Audiovisual Collection.

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to the Fredda Weiss Papers. Related collections include:

The Adam L. Wilkenfeld Collection

Victims and Families Collections

Selected Search Terms

Names

Crais, Robert
Weiss, Fredda.
National Broadcasting Company.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Pan Am Flight 103 Bombing Incident, 1988.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- Case Studies.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States -- History.
Terrorism -- Government Policy -- United States.
Terrorism -- History -- 20th Century.
Lockerbie (Scotland)

Types of Material

Audiocassettes.
Correspondence.
Interviews.
Photographs.
Sound recordings.
Transcripts.
VHS.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Fredda Weiss Papers,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Fredda Weiss in 2006.

Processing Information

Materials have been placed in acid-free folders and boxes.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically by series.

Table of Contents

Articles

Audiovisual materials

Correspondence

Photographs

Subject files

Inventory