Leather Archives & Museum
Established | September 18, 1991 |
---|---|
Location | 6418 N Greenview Ave Chicago, Illinois 60626 United States |
Coordinates | 41°59′55.06″N 87°40′5.93″W / 41.9986278°N 87.6683139°W |
Founder | Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase |
Executive director | Gary Wasdin |
Website | leatherarchives |
The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the
The LA&M is a 501(c)(3)-registered non-profit organization.[6] Research assistance is available upon request.[7]
Collection
The LA&M has the world's largest collection of original pieces by
LA&M also has one of three original
The collection includes notable writings such as the records of
LA&M also displays ephemera from historic gay establishments, such as a glory hole from Man's Country (Chicago), a sign from the Mineshaft (New York City), and a David-inspired leatherman statue from Clementine's (St. Louis).[17]
Etienne Auditorium
The LA&M's Etienne Auditorium is used for the LA&M's annual Fetish Film Forum; leather-related contests, demonstrations, community meetings, and lectures; and as a place where leather groups and clubs can gather for free.[18][19]
The auditorium is named in honor of Dom Orejudos (who signed his artwork under the alias Etienne) and includes many of his murals from the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, and elsewhere.[20][21]
History
In August 1991, the LA&M was incorporated in the State of Illinois.[2] It held a ribbon cutting ceremony and its first public gallery show at 5007 N Clark Street on November 4, 1995. The LA&M moved to its current location (a former synagogue) in 1999.[22][23]
In May 2009, the LA&M announced that International Mr. Leather proceeds would be placed in a trust to benefit the museum.[27] That same year, the LA&M acquired the 25-box collection of papers of Robert Davolt, author and organizer of the San Francisco Pride leather contingent, and the editor of Bound & Gagged.[28][29]
In 2016, Chicago City Council designated September 18, 2016 as "LEATHER ARCHIVES & MUSEUM DAY" in honor of the museum's 25th anniversary (Resolution R2016-704).[30]
In 2019, several months before he died,
Honors
The LA&M received the Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 1997, 2001, 2006, and 2011.[31]
Joseph Bean, while executive director of the LA&M, received the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 1998 and 2000,[32][33] and the Steve Maidhof Award for National or International Work from the National Leather Association International in 1998.[34]
Rick Storer, while executive director of the LA&M, received the President's Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2005, the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2008, the Mr. Marcus Hernandez Lifetime Achievement Award (Man) as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2012, and the National Leather Association International Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.[25][33][35]
The LA&M received the International Deaf Leather Recognition Award in 2011.[36]
The LA&M was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2017.[37]
The LA&M was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame in 2019.[38]
Exhibits
Past and present exhibits include a leather bar exhibit; Fakir Musafar; Rex;[39] a Dungeon exhibit; and A Room of Her Own, an exhibit about women's leather history.[21][40][41][42]
In regard to the name of the A Room of Her Own exhibit, curator Alex Warner wrote,[42]
As I began work for the first exhibit installation of the Women's Leather History Project, I was excited that we were both literally and figuratively making room for Leatherwomen's history in the LA&M. It was out of this line of thinking that "A Room of Her Own" emerged, building on Virginia Woolf's 1929 feminist text A Room of One's Own that argues for women's need for space to think and create.
Other
Chuck Renslow, who died in 2017,[11] is listed as the Chairman In Memoriam of the LA&M.[43] The LA&M also gives out the Chuck Renslow President's Award to honor individuals and organizations for their contributions to the museum.[44]
References
- ^ "About the LA&M". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ a b Ridinger, Robert (2005). "Founding of the Leather Archives & Museum". LGBT History, 1988-1992 [serial online]. LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 33–36.
- ^ Shapiro, Gregg. (2011). "Leatherman's man: an interview with Chuck Renslow's biographer Owen Keehmen". Outlook: Columbus. 16 (1). LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 48. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
- ^ a b c Peregrin, Tony (18 February 2020). "Drawn together". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- ^ a b c "Kane, "Drummer," and DeBlase — Rick Storer, Leather Archives & Museum". San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group. 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ "Leather Archives & Museum Inc". Internal Revenue Service.
- ^ "Research". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ^ "The Leather Pride Flag". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
- ISBN 978-1-4766-3184-4.
- ISBN 978-1-46109602-3.
- ^ a b Goldsborough, Bob (2017-06-30). "Chuck Renslow, Chicago gay community icon and International Mr. Leather contest founder, dies at 87". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Bedwell, Michael (October 7, 2019). "Remembering transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen". LGBTQ Nation.
- ^ "Kris: The Physique Photography of Chuck Renslow". Windy City Times. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- ^ Rubin, Gayle; Wasdin, Gary. "Leather Archives and Museum". Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Lenius, Steve (2021-01-14). "Leather Life: Leather Archives & Museum to Celebrate 30th Anniversary". Lavender Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Oral History Exhibit". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ Rhodes, Adam M. (2020-10-29). "Gay bathhouses were barely surviving. And then came COVID-19". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
- ^ Madariya, Bhavin. "2023 Fetish Film Forum". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ "The Etienne Auditorium - Leather Archives & Museum". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ISBN 978-1-4610-9602-3.
- ^ a b "Exhibitions". Leather Archives & Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ O'Matz, Megan (1999-10-25). "Congregation Ends 10 Years of Wandering". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Leather Archives & Museum". Smithsonian. 1970-01-01. Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
- ^ Steve Lenius (2000-07-28). "Tony DeBlase, 1942-2000". Leather Life. Issue #135. Retrieved 2020-04-28 – via Lavender Magazine.
- ^ a b "#508: The Evidence of Leather".
- ^ "GLBT ALMS 2006 Conference Program". GLBT ALMS 2006 Conference Program. 2006.
- ^ "Leather Archives & Museum Announcement". Twitter. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ "Robert W. Davolt". San Francisco Chronicle. 3 July 2005. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- .
- ^ "Resolution R2016-704 -- Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago, Illinois -- Regular Meeting -- Wednesday, September 14, 2016". City of Chicago, Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ 🖉"Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients - The Leather Journal". www.theleatherjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ "view a dia". www.museum.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ a b "Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients - The Leather Journal". www.theleatherjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ "List of winners - Living In Leather". livinginleather.net.
- ^ "List of winners". NLA International. 2019-03-14. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- ^ "International Deaf Leather | AWARDS". July 4, 2021.
- ^ Simonette, Matt (2017-11-09). "Hall of Fame induction strikes joyous notes". Windy City Times. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
- ^ "> Inductees". Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
- ^ Lenius, Steve (2021-08-26). "Leather Life: LA&M Exhibits - Leather's Golden Era and Art of Rex". Lavender Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "The Dungeon Exhibit". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ "The Leatherbar Exhibit". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ a b "A Room of Her Own". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ "Staff and Board". Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ "President's Award". Leather Archives & Museum. 1987-03-21. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
External links
- Official website
- Media related to Leather Archives & Museum at Wikimedia Commons