This collection contains a variety of periodicals, photographs, correspondence, business and advertising ephemera (corporate and non-profit, personal), organizational records and ephemera, created by, for, and in reaction to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community.
Scope and Contents:
The Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection contains periodicals, ephemera, posters, postcards, advertisements, photographs, organizational records, publications, correspondence, and other materials related to all aspects of the LGBT community and the civil rights issues pertaining thereto. The collection was created by the Archives Center to bring together materials specifically pertaining to the LGBT community. This collection contains material from communities and individuals throughout the United States. The collection is currently strongest in periodicals, newspapers and ephemera and very strong in material from California and New York. The collection continues to add new items and the researcher would be wise to take a broad view in targeting their research topics in the collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into twenty-eight series.
Series 1: Periodicals, 1937-2023
Series 2: Agencies, Associations, and Organizations, 1965-2023, undated
Series 3: Community Life and Subject Files, 1825-2023, undated
Subseries 3.1: Photographs and Slides, 1870-2009, undated
Subseries 3.2: Ephemera and Buttons, 1969-2022, undated
Subseries 3.3: Posters and Prints, 1825-2018, undated
Subseries 3.4: Subject Files, 1958-2023, undated
Subseries 3.5: Pride, 1976-2023, undated
Subseries 3.6: HIV and AIDS, 1987-2020, undated
Subseries 3.7: Gay Games, 1982-2018
Series 4: Advertising, Business, and Publications, 1912-2023, undated
Subseries 4.1: Advertising, 1970-2018, undated
Subseries 4.2: Business, 1986-2021, undated
Subseries 4.3: Television, Theater, and Motion Pictures, 1978-2023, undated
Subseries 4.4: Bar ephemera and advertisement, 1979-2018, undated
Subseries 4.5: Publications, 1912-2023, undated
Series 5: Biren, Joan E. (JEB), 195-2018, undated
Subseries 5.1: Xerographic Copies of Photoprints, 1971-1995, undated.
Subseries 5.2: Posters and Oversize Advertisement, 1973-2018, undated
Series 6: Dietrich, Joseph A., 1992-2010
Series 7: Mattachine Society Records, 1942-1996, undated
Subseries 7.1: Correspondence, 1952-1991, undated
Subseries 7.2: Board of Directors Minutes, 1954-1974, undated
Subseries 7.4: Councils, Chapters, and Committees, 1953-1965, undated
Subseries 7.5: Conventions, 1953-1960, undated
Subseries 7.6: Publications, 1944-1996, undated
Series 8: Rainbow History Community Pioneers, 2003-2012, undated
Series 9: Strub, Sean O., addendum, 1987-2011, undated
Series 10: Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB, 1990-2014, undated
Series 11: Ros, Silvia, 2009-2011
Series 12: Huebner, David, 2009-2014
Series 13: St. George, Philip, 1945-1955, undated
Series 14: Will & Grace, 1995-2006
Series 15: Barna, Joseph T. and Heritage of Pride (HOP), New York, New York, 1910-2014, undated
Subseries 15.1: Photographs, Photographic Negatives, and Slides, 1985-2010, undated
Subseries 15.2: Heritage of Pride (HOP), 1984-2014, undated
Subseries 15.3: Barna, Joseph T., 1910-2013, undated,
Series 16: Becker, John M., 1999-2014, undated
Series 17: Rohrbaugh, Richard, 1972-1986, undated
Series 18: Guest, Michael E., 2001-2009
Series 19: The Fosters, 2013
Series 20: Pride at Work, 1990-2015
Series 21: Sabatino, Michael and Voorheis, Robert, 1980-2016, undated
Subseries 21.1: Archilla, Gustavo A. and Lokkins, Elmer T., 1916-2014, undated
Series 22: Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), 1982-2016, undated
Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon's Bar, 1985-1991, undated
Subseries 1: Changing Herizons, and Herizons Newsletter, 1983-1991
Series 24: Universal Fellowship Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), 1957-2019, undated
Series 25: The Christmas House, Crown Media Family Networks, 2020-2021
Series 26: Cones, Myra L. and Harris, G. Yvonne, 1979-2001, undated
Series 27: Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA), 1993-2004, undated
Series 28: Hooker, Meryl, 1989-1996, undated
Historical Note:
While the quest for equal rights has been pursued by generations, it is generally acknowledged that the modern day Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement began in New York City in June 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. Prior to this time a number of activists, individuals, and organizations such as The Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis and others, fought to bring recognition of LGBT civil rights to the forefront of American society. While the movement was primarily, and most visably, centered in New York City and San Francisco, periodicals, guide books, and ephemeral material interconnected the larger LGBT community throughout the United States. The increased visibility of the LGBT movement inspired affinity groups at odds with the LGBT community's new found visibility and quest for broader civil rights. The challenge to what was termed "traditional" values encouraged these counter-LGBT groups to define and solidfy their constituency and also become more pro-active. This collection comprises material that is generated by individuals and organizations promoting both points of view.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
Michio and Aveline Kushi Macro-Biotics Collection (AC0619)
The Shamrock Bar: Photographs and Interviews (AC0857)
Archives Center Wedding Documentation Collection (AC1131 )
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection (AC1134)
John-Manuel Andriote Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco Collection (AC1184)
Joan E. Biren (JEB) Queer Film Museum Collection (AC1216)
World AIDS Institute (WAI) Collection (AC1266)
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Records (AC1282)
Helping Persons with AIDS (HPA) Records (AC1283)
DC Cowboys Dance Company Records (AC1312)
Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers (AC1334)
David Hadley Rockwell New York Disco Ephemera Collection (AC1342)
Leonard P. Hirsch Federal Globe Records (AC1357)
Corbett Reynolds Papers (AC1390)
Mark Segal Papers (AC1422)
The Mattachine Society of Washington "Love in Action" Collection (AC1428)
Academy of Washington Records (AC1458)
Matthew Shepard Papers (AC1463)
I'm From Driftwood Records (AC1503)
The Division of Political History holds artifacts related to gay activist Franklin Kameny and a variety of political buttons. They also hold LGBT related artifacts from Joan E. Biren (JEB).
The Division of Medical and Science holds objects donated from Dr. Renee Richards, Sean O. Strub, and Leonard Hirsch.
The Division of Entertainment and the Arts holds objects donated by The Fosters, Will & Grace, and The Christmas House.
Provenance:
This collection was assembled by the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, beginning in 2004.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), later the Universal Fellowship Metropolitan Community Church (UFMCC), was founded by the Reverend Mr. Troy Perry in 1968. From their website, "Founded in 1968, Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) has been at the vanguard of civil and human rights movements by addressing issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, economics, climate change, aging, and global human rights. MCC was the first to perform same-gender marriages and has been on the forefront of the struggle towards marriage equality in the USA and other countries worldwide." (MCC website accessed 2019 December 13)
This series contains photographs from the Perry family, MCC events, materials related to and developed by the HIV/AIDS ministry under the direction of the Reverend Mr. A. Stephen Pieters. There are also publications, anniversary books, a program from the 2019 convention in Orlando, Florida and a 1993 typescript of MCC history.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sabrina Motley; Alsarah; Tattiana Aqeel; Ysaye Maria Barnwell; Be Steadwell; Alexis DeVeaux; Alexis Pauline Gumbs; Ariel Horowitz; Carolyn Malachi; Roya Marsh; Holly Near; Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely; Martha Redbone; Urban Bush Women; Venus Thrash; the Bernice Johnson Reagon Songbook; Join us in celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Roadwork, a multiracial coalition that puts women artists on the road globally. Founded in 1978 by women leaders from African American civil rights, women's, global justice, and lesbian-feminist movements, Roadwork aims to transform consciousness and create new movements in global arts and social justice. Their coalitions across race, gender, sexual orientation, and economic class match the foundations of intersectional activism today. Performers include Alsarah, Tattiana Aqeel, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Be Steadwell, Alexis DeVeaux, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Ariel Horowitz, Carolyn Malachi, Roya Marsh, Holly Near, Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely, Martha Redbone, Urban Bush Women, Venus Thrash, and selections from the Bernice Johnson Reagon Songbook. Their diverse blend of influences from East African retro pop and jazz to classical canon and beatboxing end the 2018 Folklife Festival and lead us into the future—the social power of music will be our theme in 2019.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Sabrina Motley; Alsarah; Tattiana Aqeel; Ysaye Maria Barnwell; Be Steadwell; Alexis DeVeaux; Alexis Pauline Gumbs; Ariel Horowitz; Carolyn Malachi; Roya Marsh; Holly Near; Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely; Martha Redbone; Urban Bush Women; Venus Thrash; the Bernice Johnson Reagon Songbook; Join us in celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Roadwork, a multiracial coalition that puts women artists on the road globally. Founded in 1978 by women leaders from African American civil rights, women's, global justice, and lesbian-feminist movements, Roadwork aims to transform consciousness and create new movements in global arts and social justice. Their coalitions across race, gender, sexual orientation, and economic class match the foundations of intersectional activism today. Performers include Alsarah, Tattiana Aqeel, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Be Steadwell, Alexis DeVeaux, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Ariel Horowitz, Carolyn Malachi, Roya Marsh, Holly Near, Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely, Martha Redbone, Urban Bush Women, Venus Thrash, and selections from the Bernice Johnson Reagon Songbook. Their diverse blend of influences from East African retro pop and jazz to classical canon and beatboxing end the 2018 Folklife Festival and lead us into the future—the social power of music will be our theme in 2019.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Papers of Leonard P. Hirsch, founder of Federal GLOBE, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender employee advocacy group for the federal government. Hirsch was also the founder of the Smithsonian Institution's chapter of Federal GLOBE. Papers include organizational material as well as newsletters, educational, and lobbying materials. There is a small amount of personal material for Hirsch and his husband Kristian Fauchald.
Scope and Contents:
The Leonard P. Hirsch Federal GLOBE Records, 1985-2015, undated, contains materials related to Federal GLOBE and chapters of Federal GLOBE. The papers include correspondence, e-mail, publications, financial records, newsletters, photographs, two cassette tapes, one video tape, and computer floppy discs. The papers also include material from individuals and groups that opposed expanded rights for LGBT persons within the federal government and society. The papers also contain one of Hirsch's day books and memorial service memorabilia for Hirsch and his partner Fauchald. These papers include very little to no personal material or material relating to Hirsch's work with the Smithsonian Institution's Office of International Relations and no material relating to Fauchald's work with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
The collection is organized in six series.
Series 1: Organizational Records, 1985-2014, undated, includes correspondence, e-mail, election ballots and materials, founding documents and related materials, financial and fundraising materials, papers related to individual cases of discrimination, copies of legal documents relating to LGBT related cases, National Coming Out Day advertisements and solicitations, newsletters, by-laws, tax-exempt applications, lobbying documents, awards, copies of executive orders and proclamations, informational papers and pamphlets.
Series 2: Chapters, 1991-1996, undated, includes material related to Federal GLOBE chapters in various agencies of the federal government. Folders may include newsletters, correspondence, e-mail, advertising for gatherings and fundraisers, and election materials.
Series 3: Subject Files, Conferences, and Other Organizations, 1993-2011, undated include materials and informational packets for conferences attended by Federal GLOBE members and materials from conferences co-sponsored by Federal GLOBE. This series also includes materials from organizations and individuals that opposed expanded rights for LGBT persons within the federal government and society such as Jerry Falwell, Family Research Council, and others.
Series 4: Publications, 1990-2000, undated, includes a variety of publications related to LGBT issues.
Series 5: Hirsch, Leonard P., 1991-2015, undated, contains one day book, and memorial service memorabilia and tributes. It also contains a program for Kristian Fauchald's memorial service.
Series 6: Photographs, Slides, and Audio-Visual Materials, 1993-2009, undated, includes photographs of GLOBE participation in Pride parades and other marches. There are photographs from an unidentified costume event. It also includes two casette tapes from LGBT related talks, one VHS video tape, and computer floppy discs most likely containing documents related to Federal GLOBE.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in six series.
Series 1: Organizational Records, 1985-2014, undated
Series 2: Chapters, 1991-1996, undated
Series 3: Subject Files, Conferences, and Other Organizations, 1993-2011, undated
Series 4: Publications, 1990-2000, undated
Series 5: Hirsch, Leonard P., 1991-2015, undated
Series 6: Photographs, Slides, and Audio-Visual Materials, 1993-2009, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Leonard P. Hirsch (1955-2015) was born in Queens, New York. He graduated from Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens and from Pomona College with a B.A. degree in International Relations (1976). He received his M.A. (1978) and a Ph.D (1980) in political science from Northwestern University. He accepted a teaching position at the University of South Florida and while there assisted in the founding of the LGBT faculty organization. He also helped organize the first meeting of the American Political Science Association's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus. In 1983, Hirsch met Kristian Fauchald, a marine biologist with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. In 1985 Hirsch moved to Washington, D.C. to join Fauchald, whom he later married.
After moving to Washington, D.C., Hirsch worked for a data management firm. He founded a company that produced a personal computer. At the Prince George's County Community College he conducted research under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Hirsch, "accepted what was originally a one-year appointment in the Smithsonian Institution's Office of International Relations in 1988, beginning more than two decades of service to the arts and humanities and science communities with a special emphasis on environmental issues--biodiversity, global change, carbon tracking, and ecological systems." At the Smithsonian, Hirsch, "--was a senior policy representatitve for supporting the Smithsonian's international scientific work." He was a member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and co-chaired the U.S. Group on Earth Observations. He was the USGEO representative to the Forest Carbon Tracking Task Force. He participated in the Subcommittee on Ecological Systems, the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (as part of the U.S. delegation); the coordination processes of the Conventions on Combating Desertification and Climate Change; and the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development. He represented the Smithsonian on the U.S. Interagency Process for CITES, the Convention on Trade of Endangered Species." Hirsch was also, "the Smithsonian member of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and responsbile for matching opportunities for scientific and cultural work and exchanges for Smithsonian researchers." Hirsch believed emerging technologies could be used to make museum information and programs relevant to the broader society and pursued that goal in all facets of his work.
Hirsch was the founder and head of both Federal GLOBE and the Smithsonian GLOBE chapter. In February 1988, he organized the first gathering of what would develop into Federal GLOBE. He served as GLOBE's first president and was elected to that post over the course of the next ten years. It was the mission of GLOBE--and Hirsch personally--to eliminate discrimination in the federal government based on sexual orientation. GLOBE's accomplishments were many, including an executive order on non-discrimination issued during the Clinton administration and later the Obama administration's memorandum extending certain federal employee benefits to same-sex couples. GLOBE worked for the repeal of the Department of Defense's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. GLOBE was an advocate for federal LGBT persons not only in Washington, D.C. but elsewhere in the nation through its many chapters. GLOBE also produced a newsletter and became a clearing house for information on LGBT rights. Hirsch co-organized the "Fragments of Our History" exhibit during the 1993 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights and advocated for inclusion of LGBT content in Smithsonian programs.
Hirsch and Fauchald married in California in 2008. By the time of his death in April 2015, Fauchald was emeritus curator and former chair of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Hirsch died on June 12, 2015 of a rare form of cancer just two months after the death of his husband. In addition to other awards and certificates, Hirsch was given the Rainbow History Project's Community Pioneer Award in 2012.
Sources:
Memorial program for Leonard P. Hirsch and Obituary for Leonard P. Hirsch, The Washington Blade, June 2015
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
Michio and Aveline Kushi Macro-Biotics Collection (AC0619)
The Shamrock Bar: Photographs and Interviews (AC0857)
Archives Center Wedding Documentation Collection (AC1131 )
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection (AC1134)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Collection (AC1146)
John-Manuel Andriote Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco Collection (AC1184)
Joan E. Biren (JEB) Queer Film Museum Collection (AC1216)
World AIDS Institute (WAI) Collection (AC1266)
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Records (AC1282)
Helping Persons with AIDS (HPA) Records (AC1283)
DC Cowboys Dance Company Records (AC1312)
Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers (AC1334)
Separated Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History
The Division of Political History (now Division of Political and Military History) holds artifacts related to gay activist Franklin Kameny and a variety of political buttons. They also hold LGBT related artifacts from Joan E. Biren (JEB).
The Division of Medical Science holds objects donated from Dr. Renee Richards, Sean O. Strub, and Leonard P. Hirsch.
The Division of Entertainment and the Arts holds objects donated by The Fosters and Will & Grace.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center by the estate of Leonard P. Hirsch, Nancy Gray, Esq., Executor, 2015.
Restrictions:
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply. All duplication requests must be reviewed and approved by Archives Center staff.
Artwork, photographs, and papers of Columbus, Ohio artist and founder of the Red Party (circuit party) Corbett Reynolds. These papers include materials related to Rudely Elegant, Reynolds's bar and dance club in Columbus.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the life and activities of artist and gay-oriented nightclub impressario Corbett Reynolds of Columbus, Ohio. The collection includes correspondence; photographs; press releases, exhibition catalogs, publicity materials and flyers relating to exhibitions of Reynolds's work; articles and clippings; a VHS videocassette; and posters. The collection also includes posters, photographs, and ephemera related to Reynold's gay-centric bar Rudely Elegant and his circuit party, the Red Party. The papers were donated by Reynolds's son, Andrew Jensen, who writes, " . . . taking many items from his home and, in some cases, throwing them in the trash. I knew the historic importance of these posters, some of which may be the only ones to survive intact, so I took it upon myself to save them from this same fate."
The collection is organized in three series and four subseries.
Series 1: Posters and Artwork, 1979-2001, undated. This series includes original posters for recurring theme parties and many of the Red Parties. This series also includes original artwork and designs by Reynolds.
Subseries 1.1: Rudely Elegant, 1980-2001, undated. This subseries contains original poster art done in silk screen, collage, and other types of media, and reproduced poster art created by Reynolds to advertise his annual Red Party as well as other themed parties. This subseries also includes the poster for the final Red Party, Red Fetish, held in September 2001. This artwork was used at Reynolds's bar, Rudely Elegant, as well as in other venues.
Subseries 1.2: Posters and Artwork, 1980-1999, undated. This subseries contains original artwork either created by Reynolds or given to him. It includes materials associated with Reynolds's art installations as well as a wallpaper design and images of his artwork.
Series 2: Photographs, 1962-2001, undated. This series contains photographs from Reynolds's home in Victorian Village, Columbus, Ohio. It also contains photographs from many of the Red and themed parties. It includes photographs of Reynolds himself and as his drag persona, Cora, Miss Bat-N-Rouge. There are photographs of his art and some of his art installations.
Series 3: Personal Papers, 1980-2015, undated. This series contains papers relating to Rudely Elegant and Reynolds's theme parties including the Red Party. It also contains personal papers and news accounts.
Subseries 1.1: Rudely Elegant, 1992-2000, undated. This subseries contains ephemera and material relating to Rudely Elegant and various Red parties.
Subseries 1.2: Personal Papers and News Accounts, 1980-2015, undated. This subseries contains a scrapbook, correspondence, biographical material, resumes, exhbition material and ephemera, material related to various works of art by Reynolds, and many news accounts about Reynolds, his art, and his contributions to Columbus society and the local LGBT community.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized in three series.
Series 1: Posters and Artwork, 1979-2001, undated
Subseries 1.1: Rudely Elegant, 1980-2001, undated
Subseries 1.2: Posters and Artwork, 1980-1999, undated
Series 2: Photographs, 1962-2001, undated
Series 3: Personal Papers, 1980-2015, undated
Subseries 3.1: Rudely Elegant, 1992-2000, undated
Subseries 3.2: Personal Papers and News Accounts, 1980-2015, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Corbett Reynolds was born in Tacoma, Washington on April 7, 1944. He was educated at the Columbus College of Art and Design and graduated in 1966. For many years he was an artist and designer specializing in wall coverings and textiles. He made his home in Columbus, Ohio and purchased a late nineteenth century mansion, 1153 Neil Avenue, in the Victorian Village section of Columbus. In 1975 he purchased the Avondale Theater on West Broad Street in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus. With the help of his friends, Corbett turned the Art Deco theatre into a gay-centric nightclub and named it Rudely Elegant. Rudely Elegant officially opened in 1977 and was inspired by the discos in New York and Chicago. The decor of Rudely Elegant was changed regularly for thematic parties and events. Guest performers at the club included Grace Jones, Sylvester, and Divine.
It was with the circuit party that Reynolds gained a national following for Rudely Elegant. Circuit parties, also known as disco parties, began in the late 1970s. These dance parties lasted one night only, and were generally tied to one unifying theme or color. The parties were mainly found in cities with a large gay male population. With the advent of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s many parties became fundraisers for local service organizations and charities associated with HIV/AIDS. The parties became popular, more elaborate, and more expensive into the 1990s. Some patrons would follow the parties from city to city as the year progressed. By 2000 the popularity of the circuit parties had seemingly peaked and their number has been in steady decline.
Reportedly, Reynolds began his circuit party, know as the Red Party, in 1977, one of the first in the United States. Reynolds chose the color red as his theme because it was his favorite color, and "It is the color of passion, both in love and creativity." The parties had themes such as: Red & Black (1993), Red House Saloon (1998), and Big Top Red (2000). Reynolds's other themes included Tropicana, Halloween, Black, and Uniform. Rudely Elegant closed in 1985 but Reynolds continued to have themed circuit parties at other locations, eventually locating for good at the Valley Dale Ballroom near Westerville. The parties are said to have drawn 3,000 persons from around the United States. Many of the parties had guest hosts, among them Holly Woodlawn, Mink Stole, and Tammy Faye Baker Messner. David Borchers assisted Reynolds with many of these events, and they have been described as ". . . part installation, part performance art, much dancing, and magic and spectacle like no one had seen in Columbus before (or since)." The last Red Party, Red Fetish, occurred in 2001.
Additionally, Reynolds continued his artistic activities. He created many works of art and art installations in Columbus and New York City. He also received grants and corporate commissions from a number of agencies and individuals. He died suddenly on May 1, 2002 and is buried at the Crawford County Memory Gardens, Galion, Ohio. Reynolds had one son, Andrew Jensen.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian by Andrew and Tawna Jensen, 2016.
Restrictions:
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The personal and business papers of longtime, gay civil rights activist, editor, and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News (PGN), Mark Segal.
Scope and Contents:
The papers document the life, activism, and publishing activities of LGBT activist Mark Segal. The collection includes correspondence between Segal and elected officials, members of the news media, entertainers and others, newsletters, news articles, writings both original and collected, clippings, photographs both official and personal. This collection also includes papers and photographs documenting the first Gay Pride event in New York City in 1970, various Democratic National Conventions, other Pride celebrations and events, and an Elton John benefit concert Segal produced. The collection includes papers documenting the William Way senior housing center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for elder gay people. There are early papers, newsletters, and ephemera relating to the Gay Liberation Front organization, the Gay Activists Alliance, the Gay Raiders, and many more organizations that sprang up in the post-Stonewall era; programs from events; invitations; posters, and bumper stickers.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into six series.
Series 1: Segal, Mark, Personal, Subject, Photographs, and Audio-Visual Files, 1951-2018, undated
Subseries 1.1: Personal Files, 1961-2017, undated
Subseries 1.2: Subject Files, 1951-2017, undated
Subseries 1.3: Photographs, 1960-2018, undated
Subseries 1.4: Audio-Visual, 2005-2014, undated
Series 2: Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) and MASCO Communications Company and Lambda Award Files, 1972-2016, undated
Subseries 2.1: Company Files, 1972-2016, undated
Subseries 2.2: Lambda Awards, 1978-2000
Series 3: Organizations and Associations, 1962-2017, undated
Series 4: Newspapers and Periodicals, 1962-2016, undated
Series 5: Publications and Writings, 1970-2013, undated
Series 6: Pride and Events, 1970-2011, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Mark Segal was born January 12, 1951 to Martin and Shirley Weinstein Segal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended public school in Philadelphia and upon graduating from high school made his way to New York, New York, at a time when the gay rights movement was poised to experience a watershed moment, the Stonewall Riots in June 1969.
As an activist, journalist, and publisher, Segal participated in and often organized a range of civil rights and social groups, protests, legal actions, and other activities in support of gay rights. He became well known for his very public acts of civil disobedience as a member of the Gay Raiders, termed "zaps," on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and the Mike Douglas Show in the early 1970s. Those appearances coupled with scheduled appearances on various national and local television and radio talk shows fulfilled one of the goals for Segal's activism, "to show the nation who gay people are: our sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers."
In 1976, Segal founded and currently publishes the influential newspaper, Philadelphia Gay News. With an increasing political profile, Segal used the influence and power of the gay press and his standing within political circles to further promote LGBTQ civil rights legislation. During the late 1970s and into the present day, these efforts met with criticism and sometimes outright acts of hate (newspapers boxes of the Philadelphia Gay News were often targets of anti-gay placards and vandalism). Segal and the many others working toward the goal of equal rights for LGBTQ persons were not deterred. Working within political circles and sometimes outside them, many landmark laws and court decisions were achieved in national, state, and local governments.
Separated Materials:
Related artifacts are in the Division of Medical Sciences (now Division of Medicine and Science).
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian by Mark Segal, 2017.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Reproduction of some materials is restricted due to copyright or trademark.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Bil Browning and his husband, Jerame Davis were activists for LGBT issues, locally in Indiana as well as nationally in Washington, D.C.
Scope and Contents:
The Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers consist of approximately 3.15 cubic feet documenting their activism on behalf of LGBT rights in Indiana, and includes correspondence, photographs, school papers, a scrapbook from Browning's youth, posters, petitions, handouts, bumper stickers, periodicals, conference and event programs, ID cards, VHS recordings, and printed materials. There are extensive notes from an oral history interview with Browning and Davis conducted by Archives Center intern, Sara Dorfman, in Series 1.
Series 1, Personal Papers, 1972-2015, undated, consists of correspondence between Browning and his friends and family, school-related materials such as yearbooks and report cards, an oral history interview, and a scrapbook from Browning's youth. The scrapbook contains materials pertaining to Browning's work with ACT-UP, along with letters and other personal materials.
Series 2, Activism Records, 1992-2012, undated, contains papers from the Fast Max Sunoco employment discrimination case, papers from the Indiana Stonewall Democrats, conference and event programs, papers from Indiana Equality, papers from the Human Rights Campaign, papers from Pride at Work, a presentation on LGBT youth homelessness from the LGBT Editor/Blogger Convening, an invitation to the inauguration of President Obama, an invitation to LGBT Pride Month from the White House, and papers from the Bilerico LGBT Media Foundation.
Series 3, Legal Records, 1991-2011, undated, contains financial records as well as papers from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and documents regarding termination of child support paid by Browning's father.
Series 4, Publications, 1981-2014, undated, includes newspaper clippings relating to Browning's youth, LGBT events, and ACT-UP. It also contains pamphlets, hand-outs from conferences, and multiple LGBT periodicals from around the United States, such as the Washington Blade, that claims to be the oldest LGBT newspaper in the country.
Series 5, Photographs, 1972-2006, undated, contains photos from Browning's youth, friends and family of Browning and Davis, Browning's significant others, protests, and drag shows.
Series 6, Audiovisual, 1992-2008, undated, covers Browning's involvement with the organization ACT-UP, interviews with Browning, an open forum led by Jerame Davis in response to a protest against Cummins, a rally staged by the Indiana Action Network, and various clips from news programs covering some of these events.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into six series.
Series 1: Personal Papers, 1972-2015, undated
Series 2: Activism Records, 1992-2012, undated
Series 3: Legal Records, 1991-2011, undated
Series 4: Publications, 1981-2014, undated
Series 5: Photographs, 1972-2006, undated
Series 6: Audiovisual, 1992-2008, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Bil Browning (William Dale Browning) was born in Zanesville, Ohio in 1972. Jerame Davis (Jerame Joe Davis) was born in Columbus, Indiana in 1975. After coming out as gay in high school, Browning joined the Clinton presidential election campaign and the organization ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) in 1992. Davis worked for multiple LGBT organizations, including Indiana Equality, Indiana Fairness Network, Columbus Gay/Straight Alliance, Indiana Stonewall Democrats, and Pride at Work.
In the late 1990s, Browning and Davis were involved in an employment discrimination case against Fast Max Sunoco in Indiana. This case served as a catalyst for them to continue championing LGBT rights. The same case resulted in their organizing the internet's first gay rights grassroots online action against the local company that had fired them. Since then, Browning has won multiple awards for his work as an activist. He is also a board member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, and an advisory board member of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. Davis has served as the executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats.
Together, Browning and Davis were the co-owners of the Bilerico Project, a group blog that chronicled Indiana politics and LGBT issues for nearly 11 years. On June 30th, 2015, Browning made his last post on the blog, saying that he was taking time off to work on his book. Browning and Davis separated in 2023.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Bil Browning and Jerame Davis, in 2015.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
An unpublished memoir written by Norris documenting his life. The manuscript begins with Norris' birth in 1910, including his childhood memories of California. He also describes in detail his education at Ponoma College, Harvard University and Sorbonne in Paris, as well as his teaching position at the University of Hawaii. Themes of formative experiences, education, sexual orientation, family, and church life are dominant in his writing. He concludes with a summary of the early 1990s, after he moved to New York City. Some pages are annotated in pen by Norris.
Biographical / Historical:
Ben Norris (1910-2006) was a watercolorist and educator in Hawaii and New York. Norris studied privately with Frederic Taubes and Stanton Macdonald-Wright, and was educated at Harvard University and the Sorbonne in Paris. Norris also taught art history at the Univeristy of Hawaii.
Provenance:
Donated 2008 by Margaret Castrey, Norris' widow.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
