ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives facts for kids

ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries
Established	1952
Location	909 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90007
Coordinates	34°01′52″N 118°16′54″W / 34.03101°N 118.28157°W / 34.03101; -118.28157
Other information
Director	Joseph Hawkins

ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the oldest existing organization in the United States that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history. It is also one of the largest places in the world that keeps LGBT materials. Located in Los Angeles, California, ONE Archives has been part of the University of Southern California Libraries since 2010.

The collections at ONE Archives hold over two million items. These include magazines, books, films, videos, audio recordings, photographs, and artworks. They also have everyday items like clothing, costumes, and buttons. You can also find official records from organizations and personal papers. ONE Archives also has a small gallery and museum in West Hollywood, California. This space shows LGBT art and history. You can use the collections for free during regular hours.

ONE Archives started with a group called ONE, Inc.. This group began publishing the first national magazine for gay people in 1952. In 1956, ONE Inc. created the ONE Institute. This was an academic place to study gay and lesbian topics, which they called "Homophile Studies." In 1994, ONE, Inc. joined with the International Gay and Lesbian Archives, which was run by Jim Kepner. Since 1994, the organization has focused only on being an LGBT archive.

What is the Mission of ONE Archives?

The main goal of ONE Archives is to "collect, preserve, and make accessible LGBTQ historical materials." This means they gather, protect, and make available items from the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. They also want to help new research and make the public more aware of queer histories.

History of ONE Archives

ONE, Inc. was started in 1952. Their goal was to publish ONE Magazine, the first national magazine for gay people that was widely shared. In 1953, ONE Inc. became the first gay organization to open a public office in Downtown Los Angeles. The first people who started it included Martin Block, Tony Sanchez, and Dale Jennings.

In 1955, ONE Inc. held the ONE Midwinter Institute. This was the first of many conferences that brought together experts and community members. They met to talk about gay and lesbian topics.

In 1956, ONE Inc. created the ONE Institute. This was an academic center for studying gay and lesbian topics. They called this field "Homophile Studies."

In 1957, the Supreme Court of the United States made an important decision about gay issues for the first time. ONE Inc. fought for the right to send its magazine through the mail. They won the case, called One, Inc. v. Olesen. This ruling allowed ONE Magazine to be sent by mail. It also helped other publications that were considered controversial to be sent through the U.S. mail.

Also during the 1950s, ONE Inc. became a community center and started a library. Jim Kepner helped add many materials to this library.

As the gay liberation movement grew in the 1960s and 1970s, it became connected with the civil rights movements. ONE Inc., Jim Kepner, and other activists were ready to collect original materials from this important time. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, ONE gathered key documents. These documents showed how the "gay community" was forming and how its groups were growing and becoming more diverse.

Since the 1980s, the archive collections have grown a lot. This happened as gay issues and culture became more accepted in the United States.

In October 2012, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives celebrated its 60th anniversary. They also celebrated the first printing of ONE Magazine.

Important Moments in ONE's History

The history of ONE shows many important and new activities. They provided many services for LGBT Americans:

• October 1952: People first talked about creating a magazine for gay people at a Mattachine Society meeting.
• November 1952: ONE, Inc. is officially started.
• January 1953: The first issue of ONE Magazine is published.
• August/September 1953: Postal workers in Los Angeles take the August edition of ONE Magazine. The magazine, which had "Homosexual Marriage?" on the cover, is released three weeks later without explanation.
• November 1953: ONE Inc. opens an office in downtown Los Angeles.
• October 1954: Postal workers in Los Angeles take the October issues of ONE Magazine. They say the magazine is inappropriate.
• 1956: The ONE Institute for Homophile Studies opens.
• January 13, 1958: After four years of legal battles, the Supreme Court says ONE Magazine is not inappropriate.
• 1962: ONE Inc. moves to a new location.
• 1967: ONE Magazine stops being published.
• 1975: Jim Kepner's personal collection of materials is named the Western Gay Archives.
• 1979: The Western Gay Archives is renamed the National Gay Archives. It moves to a new location in Hollywood.
• August 1981: ONE Institute becomes the first higher education place in the U.S. to offer master's and doctoral degrees in Homophile Studies.
• 1984: The National Gay Archives is renamed the International Gay & Lesbian Archives (IGLA).
• 1988: IGLA moves to a building owned by the City of West Hollywood. This is the current location of the ONE Archives Gallery & Museum.
• 1994: W. Dorr Legg passes away. ONE Inc. joins with the IGLA. It then becomes mainly an LGBTQ archive. The organization calls itself ONE Institute and ONE Institute/IGLA.
• 1997: Jim Kepner passes away.
• 2000: ONE Institute/IGLA moves to its current main location. The University of Southern California provides this space.
• 2004: The organization is renamed ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.
• October 2010: The collections at ONE Archives become part of the USC Libraries.

What Can You Find in the Collections?

The collections at ONE Archives mainly cover LGBT histories across the United States. They have a special focus on the Los Angeles area. The archives also include some international materials, like old records and rare publications.

Archival Collections

ONE has over 600 archival collections. These include personal papers from activists, artists, and everyday people. They also have records from LGBTQ political, social, educational, and cultural groups. These collections include many types of materials like writings, photographs, letters, drawings, and other important historical items.

Some important archival collections are:

Books and Periodicals

ONE's main library has over 33,000 books. It also has over 13,000 different magazines, newspapers, and newsletters. The collection includes many rare and unusual titles. Some of these might be the only copies left. The library also has foreign publications in more than 40 different languages.

Audiovisual Materials

ONE's collection of audiovisual materials includes over 4,000 films. It also has 21,000 videos, including 10 years of recorded talks from ONE, Inc. There are also 3,000 audio recordings. Many of ONE's films and videos are kept and protected with the Outfest Legacy Project at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Art and Photography

ONE Archives' art collection has over 4,000 paintings, drawings, works on paper, photographs, and sculptures. Most of these pieces are from the 1940s to today.

Posters, Textiles, and Objects

ONE Archives also collects and keeps over 3,500 posters. They have textiles like T-shirts, banners, and flags. They also have souvenirs like buttons, matchbooks, dolls, and other 3D objects.

ONE Archives Gallery & Museum, West Hollywood

ONE Archives Gallery & Museum, West Hollywood
Established	2008
Location	626 North Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, 90069

Since 2008, ONE Archives has run an exhibition space in West Hollywood, California. This gallery shows temporary exhibits on LGBT art and history. The gallery is in a city-owned building. The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives is also located there.

In 2011, ONE Archives took part in a big art event called Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980. They presented an exhibition called Cruising the Archive: Queer Art & Culture in Los Angeles, 1945-1980. This show was at the ONE Gallery in West Hollywood. It was also at ONE Archives' main location and in the Treasure Room at the Doheny Library at the University of Southern California Libraries. The exhibition included works by many artists, both well-known and less known. This was the only exhibition in the Pacific Standard Time event that focused on queer content. It was the biggest show of materials from ONE Archives' collections up to that time. A scholarly book was also published with the exhibition.

The ONE Gallery has shown solo exhibitions of art by Steven F. Arnold and Joey Terrill. It has also shown historical materials from ONE's collections. They have also featured highlights from the collections of the Tom of Finland Foundation and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.