Exploring LGBT Archives at the London Metropolitan Archives

6pm, 22nd February 2012

As part of LGBT history month, the LMA hosted an evening designed as a taster session to introduce the rich and varied LGBT-related material held there. The evening also served as an opportunity to gauge interest in a regular LGBT History month event beginning in May. The evening was hosted by Jan Pimblett, the Principal Development Officer.

LMA is the largest Local Authority Archives in the country, and is the second largest Archives in London (after the National Archives). The LGBT material (that they have identified) dates back to the 17th Century.I just thought I would highlight some of the issues in collecting and identifying material of LGBT interest that cropped up, that I thought were of particular interest:

Before the Wolfenden report in 1957, the majority of LGBT related materials are voiceless, in that it does not necessarily reflect the more human side of LGBT people, and rather focuses on the legal (criminality), the medical and the moral (religion, you’re all evil etc.).

The LMA hold an annual LGBT conference, the starting point for which was a book from the LMA library Homosexuality in Renaissance England by Alan Bray (1982) which relied heavily on the LMA archives and helped to humanise the material held about the gay community.

Contemporary material is disappearing. Because homosexuality was illegal until 1967, many gay men and women who lived through that time are secretive of the material they themselves own, often material has already been destroyed. Because of the secretive and “shameful” nature of the material, it is often difficult to find, people have letters hidden away in their attics, not realising the worth of them in terms of social history. If there were magazine runs, for example, they were often crudely home-made publications with very limited and finite runs.

Contemporary alternative voices are still being lost, stories that have never been written down need to be captured as they are disappearing, the use of oral histories and hidden diaries for example.

Searching for material of LGBT interest in archive catalogues is often tricky, as the word ‘gay’ would not bring up material from the 17th century, whereas words such as ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’ or, as Oscar Wilde’s criminal record said ‘misdemeanour’ might. It’s important to take a more lateral approach to catalogue searching.

On the same note, it’s important not to appropriate the past with inappropriate terminology, you can’t use the word “homosexual” to describe a classical Greek pederastic relationship between a man and a boy, as the word simply didn’t exist then. “Gay” is a very contemporary term, as are the LGBT initials (which evolves every year, last time I checked, it was LGBTQQI Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex- quite the mouthful).

It’s also important to collect material outside of the typical, ie: queer collections often focus on either sex, or as a document of suffering. While these are important parts of the collective queer story, there are everyday people living normal lives with families, jobs and hobbies that aren’t necessarily ruled by their sex lives, or AIDs or oppression.

Jan recommended we take a look at A narrative of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke, which is available as a free Google book. She lived between 13 January 1713 – 6 April 1760 and was a renowned transvestite and lesbian who was disowned by her father. The LMA holds a letter written from her father denying her money and explaining how ashamed of her the whole family is. Very depressing, but fascinating, stuff.

The History Club events will be held 6pm-7.30pm on the following dates: 9 May, 6 June, 4 July, 8 August, 5 September, 10 October, 7 November and 5 December. Email ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk for more information.

tomb of the unknown craftsman

For my birthday a few years ago, I got this from the Tate Modern, which I love. For christmas this year, Babs got me the new one made to accompany the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman exhibition at the British Museum.







It's beautiful, can't wait to get some twin frames for them both. The exhibition is on until mid February, so go if you get the chance, it's brilliant, one of the few exhibitions you'll see where people actually laugh out loud as they walk around it. I took some pictures of Alan Measles' pilgrimage motorbike on my iPhone (it's not Alan Measles in the box, it's one of his stunt doubles).





Hope everyone had a good christmas.

some of my favourite books

I've borrowed a camera from work (to take pictures of my room to get someone to fill it- which I've yet to do) hence the blogular influx of late. Thought I'd show off some pretty books of mine.

This is the Oscar Wilde short stories book with forewords by Stephen Fry, I went to a signing on Oscar Wilde's birthday, and he gave a talk about Wilde, and did an amazing reading of The Happy Prince. He was very pleasant and I was very starstruck to meet him.





I loved this book, and then heard that the author Kate Summerscale was doing a lunchtime reading and talk at Birkbeck, so I went along with my copy and managed to get her to sign it for me, she was also really nice- though needless to say I wasn't quite so starstruck with her.

This is the US copy of the first Harry Potter, which I got as a present on my 23rd birthday from Fiona and I love it, I'd really like to get all of the US versions. As well as having a different title and cover, there are illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. There's an interesting article here about different book covers being used in different countries.

This was another present, a selection of sketches/quotes and journal entries by my favourite transvestite Candy Darling.

So many brilliant quotes in this one, some of my favourites:

"I operate better as a woman"

"Tricky mother nature"

"This is my barbed wire dress. It protects the property but doesn't hide the view"

Another signed one here, although this was a present bought online- so I didn't get to meet Tracy Chevalier. For a long time this was my favourite book, infinitely superior to the much more well known Girl with a pearl earring.

I love this, I got it from a bookstall in Spittlefields Market, it's the perfect horror story and it's beautifully written and I really wanted this old-school penguin copy. It's a bit fragile, but lovely to look at.

We were weeding stock at work in the Library and I came across this little gem which I decided to keep for myself, it's dated dreadfully. I love it.

Here's my next look sorted:

This is the exhibition catalogue from one of the most bizarre and interesting exhibitions I've been to since I've lived in London. Basically the artist had collected hundreds of versions of the same portrait of a saint called Fabiola, and they were all displayed in two really small rooms in the National Portrait Gallery. There's more information here.

The first half of the book is about saint Fabiola, the second half is a complete catalogue of the portraits in the exhibition.

There are plenty more where these came from, so I will post some more soon :o)

x x x

my booooots

look at my beautiful boots!

brilliant birthday present!

I got this beautiful silk scarf from Babs and JC for my 24th. I need to get a nice big frame for it now, it's so good, and I lot bigger than I remember it being in the Tate shop.

"Renowned artist and Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry has created this silk square scarf exclusively for Tate. Take a tour through the history of modern art with this beautifully detailed and amusing design.

'In the second world war pilots were given maps printed on silk to help them escape if they were shot down over enemy territory. This scarf is a social and cultural map to help aspiring artists navigate the hostile territory on their way to being accepted by the establishment. Many famous artists who can help them live along the route'

100% silk, Boxed.

Dimensions 90 x 90 cm"

(click for larger images)

Details:

enjoy! x