Lesbian Herstory Archives facts for kids
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| Established | 1974 |
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| Location | 484 14th St. Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York 11215 |
| Type | Archive, history museum |
| Public transit access |
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| Designated | November 22, 2022 |
| Reference no. | 2662 |
The Lesbian Herstory Archives (LHA) is a special place in New York City. It is like a museum and a community center. Its main goal is to save and share the stories of women who are attracted to other women. It is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Archives hold the world's largest collection of items made by and about these women.
The Archives started in 1974. It was founded by women who were part of the Gay Academic Union. They wanted to make sure that the stories of their community were kept safe for the future. The founders included Joan Nestle, Deborah Edel, Sahli Cavallo, Pamela Oline, and Julia Penelope Stanley. For many years, the Archives were kept in Joan Nestle's apartment. But the collection grew too big! So, it moved to a larger building in Brooklyn. The Archives now have thousands of books, magazines, and photos. They also have many other historical items.
Contents
History of the Archives
How it Started
After the Stonewall riots in 1969, many groups formed to support gay and lesbian people. Joan Nestle said that the Archives started because of the courage people found after Stonewall. The Gay Academic Union (GAU) began in 1973. It was for gay and lesbian scholars. Women in the GAU started a group to talk about fairness. They worried that the history of women who love women was being lost. They wanted their stories to be told from their own point of view.
Joan Nestle explained why the Archives were so important. She said that many stories were silent or hidden. Letters were destroyed, and photos were not taken. The Archives' motto is "In memory of the voices we have lost." The founders decided that the collection should never be sold. It should be in a community space run by women. Also, all women should be able to see it.
The founding members were Joan Nestle, Deborah Edel, Sahli Cavallo, Pamela Oline, and Julia Penelope Stanley. They were all active in women's rights. Mabel Hampton, an activist who worked for Nestle's family, also helped early on. The founders started collecting documents and items. They wanted to save the everyday stories of their community. They collected everything, even if the person was not famous. They joked that if an object was touched by a woman who loved women, they would collect it! The Archives opened in 1974 in Nestle's apartment. This first location was later recognized as a Women's Rights Historic Site in 2008.
The LHA started a newsletter called Lesbian Herstory Archives News in 1975. They opened their doors to the public in 1976. In 1979, the LHA became one of the first non-profit groups for queer people in New York. By 1990, the collection had grown a lot. It had thousands of books, magazines, photos, and other items. The group began raising money for a new, bigger home. They got money from many small donations. People held events like ping-pong games and barbecues to help.
Moving to Park Slope
After many years of fundraising, the LHA bought a three-story brownstone house. This was in December 1991, at 484 14th Street in Park Slope. The LHA hired women carpenters and architects to change the house. They turned it into a home for their collection. The Archives moved to their new place in 1992. An official opening happened in June 1993. By 1995, the collection had 10,000 books. It also had hundreds of magazines. The LHA's newsletter had 6,000 readers. By December 1996, they had paid off the building's loan!
In November 2022, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission made the Archives' building an official city landmark. It was the first building in Brooklyn to get this honor because of its importance to the LGBTQ+ community.
How the Archives Work
The Lesbian Herstory Archives are run by a special committee. This committee decides what new items to accept. The Archives are completely run by volunteers and students. The LHA also holds events in its space. These include classes, speakers, poetry readings, and a Valentine's Day party. People from the LHA often march in the New York City Dyke March.
In the early days, they would take items from the Archives to talks. To protect the items, they made a traveling slide show. The LHA also has traveling exhibits. These exhibits focus on different topics. For example, their "Keepin' On" exhibit shows the stories of African American women who love women.
What They Collect
The Lesbian Herstory Archives started with personal items from the founders. This includes everything written by founder Joan Nestle. The founders also asked others to donate their materials. Over the years, the collection grew a lot. When the LHA moved, visitors could see almost everything. Only a few items were kept private by the donors' wishes. Visitors needed to make appointments. They could only look at items there and could not take pictures. The New York Times wrote in 1996 that even the rarest items were not kept behind glass.
Today, the collection has all kinds of historical items. These include papers, diaries, journals, photos, tapes, posters, buttons, magazines, and videos. You can watch films at the Archives. The original films are stored in a special cool place. Books are organized by the authors' first names, not their last names.
The LHA has always accepted donations. Mabel Hampton gave her large collection of books about women who love women in 1976. Other groups also donated their files when they closed. The Archives has the Red Dot Collection. This is the library of the New York City chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis. This was the first national organization for women who love women in the United States. Writer and activist Audre Lorde gave some of her writings and papers to the Archives. The Marge MacDonald Special Collection has books, papers, and journals from Marge MacDonald. She left these items to the LHA in her will. The TV show The L Word also donated its press materials in 2010.
The LHA website started in 1997. It now has a digital collection. You can take a virtual tour of the Archives online. They have put many photos, newsletters, and videos online. The digital collection is hosted by the Pratt Institute School of Information. The LHA is still working to put more audio and newspaper collections online. They are also digitizing video interviews from the Daughters of Bilitis. The LHA has over 1500 files on different topics. They made copies of these files onto microfilm.
The Building
The LHA's main building is a three-story house. It is at 484 14th Street in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. Axel Hedman designed the house in 1908. It was built with six other similar houses. The building was first a two-family house. Its first owner, Matilda Levy, lived there with her sister. She rented out the other apartment. Later, a dentist owned the house. His family lived there, and he rented out the other unit. In 1945, the house was divided into three apartments. By 1950, four families lived there. The house became part of the Park Slope Historic District in 1973. The LHA has owned the building since December 1991.
The front of the building is mostly made of limestone. The lower part is made of brownstone. You enter the house by a set of steps on the right side. The main door is made of glass and wood. Above the door is a fancy carving. The left side of the building sticks out. It has three sections with windows. The first-floor windows have special frames. There are also decorative carvings above the windows. The second-floor windows have geometric panels below them. The window above the entrance has a fancy top part. Above the second floor are more carved panels. The third-story windows are connected by a simple ledge. Above the third story is a detailed metal cornice. It has many decorative parts.
After the LHA bought the building in 1991, they changed the basement and first two floors. They made them into display and storage areas. The main collection is on the first floor. This floor has custom shelves, offices, a kitchen, and a space for events. There is also a wheelchair lift. A caretaker lives on the third floor.
See also
- GLBT Historical Society
- June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives
- Lesbian American history
- LGBT culture in New York City
- ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn
