Iris Barry (1895–1969) was a pioneering British-American film critic, writer, and curator who played a foundational role in the preservation and serious study of cinema as an art form. Active during the early to mid-twentieth century, Barry championed the cultural significance of motion pictures at a time when they were often dismissed as mere commercial entertainment.\n\nIn the 1920s, Barry helped establish the original London Film Society, a landmark organization that introduced audiences to avant-garde and international cinema. Her dedication to film culture eventually led her to the United States, where she made history in 1935 as the first curator of the newly established film department at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. Through her curatorial work, Barry laid the groundwork for modern film preservation and archival practices.
