Leather Archives & Museum

Leather Archives & Museum Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a library, museum and archive located on the North Side of Chicago. Our mission is to make leather, kink, B**M, and fe**sh accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement.
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All s*xual orientations and genders are included, and the scope is worldwide! The library houses twelve thousand books and fourteen thousand magazines, plus scholarly publications, films and electronic resources. As for the museum collection, it's full of original erotic art and artifacts from alternative s*x organizations and individuals. The archives (viewable by appointment) contain unpublished papers and records from notable B**M activists, artists, businesses and organizations.

Operating as usual

Quote from Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships by Jack Rinella (2003). Photo from American Grizzly 27 (2004...
05/07/2021

Quote from Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships by Jack Rinella (2003). Photo from American Grizzly 27 (2004). #tradition #lgbtq #leathercommunity

[The question of tradition itself raises an interesting and important paradox. Though we do have "traditions," since we are communities with histories, our first tradition is that we are not traditional. To think that our forebears were establishing mores and structures that they wanted us to follow blindly is to totally miss their true intentions. They made personal freedom far more important than rules and regulations, even ones they held in the highest regard. This was a contradiction for them too, as they would exclude others whose expression of freedom was different than theirs. They were human, and contradiction is a very human quality.]

Quote from Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships by Jack Rinella (2003). Photo from American Grizzly 27 (2004). #tradition #lgbtq #leathercommunity

[The question of tradition itself raises an interesting and important paradox. Though we do have "traditions," since we are communities with histories, our first tradition is that we are not traditional. To think that our forebears were establishing mores and structures that they wanted us to follow blindly is to totally miss their true intentions. They made personal freedom far more important than rules and regulations, even ones they held in the highest regard. This was a contradiction for them too, as they would exclude others whose expression of freedom was different than theirs. They were human, and contradiction is a very human quality.]

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here are some of the resources related to AAPI kink hist...
05/06/2021

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here are some of the resources related to AAPI kink history available at the @leatherarchives (now open to visitors Thursday-Sunday).

Check out the Asian Leather and Kink Alliance (on Twitter), Asian American Feminist Collective, SWAN Vancouver (Supports & Advocacy for Im/Migrant Women Engaged in Indoor S*x Work), Red Canary Song (organizing with migrant & Asian s*x workers in NYC), and Butterfly (the Asian and Migrant S*x Workers Support Network).

Hollaback! is also offering free online training in bystander invention to stop anti-Asian and xenophobic harassment (next session on May 14). #aapiheritagemonth #stopasianhate #leathercommunity #swresources

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here are some of the resources related to AAPI kink history available at the @leatherarchives (now open to visitors Thursday-Sunday).

Check out the Asian Leather and Kink Alliance (on Twitter), Asian American Feminist Collective, SWAN Vancouver (Supports & Advocacy for Im/Migrant Women Engaged in Indoor S*x Work), Red Canary Song (organizing with migrant & Asian s*x workers in NYC), and Butterfly (the Asian and Migrant S*x Workers Support Network).

Hollaback! is also offering free online training in bystander invention to stop anti-Asian and xenophobic harassment (next session on May 14). #aapiheritagemonth #stopasianhate #leathercommunity #swresources

Quote from It's Not About The Whip: Love, S*x, and Spirituality in the B**M Scene by Sensuous Sadie (2003). Photo from W...
05/05/2021

Quote from It's Not About The Whip: Love, S*x, and Spirituality in the B**M Scene by Sensuous Sadie (2003). Photo from Wicked Women Vol 4 No 3 (1992). #erotics #intimacy

[Define it how you want, but the erotic tension is in there somewhere, a strand as delicate as a filament or as powerful as a cable. Even so, it's only partly about the s*x. What it's really about is intimacy, which covers all those lists and whatever new ones I come up with.]

Quote from It's Not About The Whip: Love, S*x, and Spirituality in the B**M Scene by Sensuous Sadie (2003). Photo from Wicked Women Vol 4 No 3 (1992). #erotics #intimacy

[Define it how you want, but the erotic tension is in there somewhere, a strand as delicate as a filament or as powerful as a cable. Even so, it's only partly about the s*x. What it's really about is intimacy, which covers all those lists and whatever new ones I come up with.]

Join us Tuesday night for a great figure drawing session. All skill levels welcome (including no skill at all!)
05/03/2021

Join us Tuesday night for a great figure drawing session. All skill levels welcome (including no skill at all!)

Join us Tuesday night for a great figure drawing session. All skill levels welcome (including no skill at all!)

Photo from the Vern Stewart collection at the @leatherarchives. #leathercontests #titleholders #leathercommunity
05/03/2021

Photo from the Vern Stewart collection at the @leatherarchives. #leathercontests #titleholders #leathercommunity

Photo from the Vern Stewart collection at the @leatherarchives. #leathercontests #titleholders #leathercommunity

The Sixty Nine Club (founded 1965 in London) at an international event in 1977. Photo from the Manfred Gerhard collectio...
05/02/2021

The Sixty Nine Club (founded 1965 in London) at an international event in 1977. Photo from the Manfred Gerhard collection at the @leatherarchives. #motorcycleclubs #gayhistory #seventies

The Sixty Nine Club (founded 1965 in London) at an international event in 1977. Photo from the Manfred Gerhard collection at the @leatherarchives. #motorcycleclubs #gayhistory #seventies

Quote from The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry (1985). Photo of Kim Bittner (Michelle Bauer) from Bound to Please Vol 3 No...
05/01/2021

Quote from The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry (1985). Photo of Kim Bittner (Michelle Bauer) from Bound to Please Vol 3 No 10 (1984). #philosophy #screamqueens

[Physical pain does not simply resist language but actively destroys it, bringing about an immediate reversion to a state anterior to language, to the sounds and cries a human being makes before language is learned.]

Quote from The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry (1985). Photo of Kim Bittner (Michelle Bauer) from Bound to Please Vol 3 No 10 (1984). #philosophy #screamqueens

[Physical pain does not simply resist language but actively destroys it, bringing about an immediate reversion to a state anterior to language, to the sounds and cries a human being makes before language is learned.]

Quote from Sadomasochism by Bill Thompson (1994). Photo from Males in Love Bo***ge No 1 (1996). #bo***ge #freud #psychs*...
04/30/2021

Quote from Sadomasochism by Bill Thompson (1994). Photo from Males in Love Bo***ge No 1 (1996). #bo***ge #freud #psychs*x #hists*x

[Freudians did not like fe**shists, who they believed were unwilling to be treated because they simply refused to see they had a problem. So for the next fifty years this deviation was subject to the usual babble.]

Quote from Sadomasochism by Bill Thompson (1994). Photo from Males in Love Bo***ge No 1 (1996). #bo***ge #freud #psychs*x #hists*x

[Freudians did not like fe**shists, who they believed were unwilling to be treated because they simply refused to see they had a problem. So for the next fifty years this deviation was subject to the usual babble.]

Quote from After Stonewall 25 by Harold Cox in Checkmate No 9 (Aug 1994). Photo of men at Folsom Street Fair 2012 by Ric...
04/28/2021

Quote from After Stonewall 25 by Harold Cox in Checkmate No 9 (Aug 1994). Photo of men at Folsom Street Fair 2012 by Rich Trove. #folsomstreet #leathercommunity #lgbtq

[Unfortunately, the consolidation of the S/M community has been accompanied by a division within gay ranks. Flamboyance in dress and non-vanilla relationships are brought into question by those who feel that those who dress oddly or who like to whip people or tie them up provide ammunition for the common enemy. The fragmentation which results is virtually without limit, even within the S/M community.]

Quote from After Stonewall 25 by Harold Cox in Checkmate No 9 (Aug 1994). Photo of men at Folsom Street Fair 2012 by Rich Trove. #folsomstreet #leathercommunity #lgbtq

[Unfortunately, the consolidation of the S/M community has been accompanied by a division within gay ranks. Flamboyance in dress and non-vanilla relationships are brought into question by those who feel that those who dress oddly or who like to whip people or tie them up provide ammunition for the common enemy. The fragmentation which results is virtually without limit, even within the S/M community.]

Help us raise funds for a Spring "facelift" for our amazing home!
04/28/2021
Making LAM S*xy on the Outside

Help us raise funds for a Spring "facelift" for our amazing home!

It's the 30th anniversary of Leather Archives and Museum, and the 21st year in our building on Greenview Ave, a former Synagogue that now provides sanctuary to our collected history. The exterior is showing its age and needs a little love! Funds r...

The first Mr. & Ms. Olympus Leather Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo on the cover of The Leather Journal No 81 (Apr 1996). #olym...
04/28/2021

The first Mr. & Ms. Olympus Leather Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo on the cover of The Leather Journal No 81 (Apr 1996). #olympusleather #leatherjournal #nineties #titleholders

The first Mr. & Ms. Olympus Leather Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo on the cover of The Leather Journal No 81 (Apr 1996). #olympusleather #leatherjournal #nineties #titleholders

Miss Vera's Finishing School For Boys Who Want To Be Girls at New York Pride 1994. Photo from the Ed Grabow collection a...
04/26/2021

Miss Vera's Finishing School For Boys Who Want To Be Girls at New York Pride 1994. Photo from the Ed Grabow collection at the @leatherarchives. #missvera #nypride

Miss Vera's Finishing School For Boys Who Want To Be Girls at New York Pride 1994. Photo from the Ed Grabow collection at the @leatherarchives. #missvera #nypride

Leather bar ads from The Leather Journal (ca 1996). #leatherbars #nineties #gaybars
04/25/2021

Leather bar ads from The Leather Journal (ca 1996). #leatherbars #nineties #gaybars

Leather bar ads from The Leather Journal (ca 1996). #leatherbars #nineties #gaybars

Quote from Sapphistry: The Book of Le***an S*xuality by Patrick Califia (1980). Photo from Bound to Please Vol 3 No 10 (...
04/24/2021

Quote from Sapphistry: The Book of Le***an S*xuality by Patrick Califia (1980). Photo from Bound to Please Vol 3 No 10 (1984). #sadomasochism #powerexchange #sapphistry

[Knowing that another woman is willing to trust you, give herself up to you, and suffer for you is a heady experience.]

Quote from Sapphistry: The Book of Le***an S*xuality by Patrick Califia (1980). Photo from Bound to Please Vol 3 No 10 (1984). #sadomasochism #powerexchange #sapphistry

[Knowing that another woman is willing to trust you, give herself up to you, and suffer for you is a heady experience.]

Quote from Making a Master/slave Relationship by Master Ron K. in The Leather Journal No 62 (Sep 1994). Photo from Ameri...
04/23/2021

Quote from Making a Master/slave Relationship by Master Ron K. in The Leather Journal No 62 (Sep 1994). Photo from American Grizzly 3 (1998). #powerexchange

[My slave must learn to trust me and to communicate their needs to me clearly and without hiding a single piece of information. I must also learn to trust them and their commitment to me and to demonstrate that trust by communicating my needs to them. In a Master/slave relationship there are no substitutes for complete trust and open communication.]

Quote from Making a Master/slave Relationship by Master Ron K. in The Leather Journal No 62 (Sep 1994). Photo from American Grizzly 3 (1998). #powerexchange

[My slave must learn to trust me and to communicate their needs to me clearly and without hiding a single piece of information. I must also learn to trust them and their commitment to me and to demonstrate that trust by communicating my needs to them. In a Master/slave relationship there are no substitutes for complete trust and open communication.]

Quote from S/M: Some Questions and a Few Answers by Carol Truscott (in Leatherfolk, ed. Mark Thompson, 1991). Photo of L...
04/22/2021

Quote from S/M: Some Questions and a Few Answers by Carol Truscott (in Leatherfolk, ed. Mark Thompson, 1991). Photo of Lady Dymund from Boot Camp Vol 2 No 2 (2002). #fe**om #powerexchange #malesub

[Nowhere is it written in the annals of consensual sadomasochism that a person is consigned to a particular role relationship based on her or his ge****ls. What is written is that people are encouraged to explore their own fantasies, their own desires, and to search for partners whose fantasies and desires are complementary, regardless of gender or orientation.]

Quote from S/M: Some Questions and a Few Answers by Carol Truscott (in Leatherfolk, ed. Mark Thompson, 1991). Photo of Lady Dymund from Boot Camp Vol 2 No 2 (2002). #fe**om #powerexchange #malesub

[Nowhere is it written in the annals of consensual sadomasochism that a person is consigned to a particular role relationship based on her or his ge****ls. What is written is that people are encouraged to explore their own fantasies, their own desires, and to search for partners whose fantasies and desires are complementary, regardless of gender or orientation.]

Stop by and see us today......free thanks to our friends at CLAW!
04/22/2021

Stop by and see us today......free thanks to our friends at CLAW!

Stop by and see us today......free thanks to our friends at CLAW!

The Gold Cost staff in 1977. Photograph by A Thousand Words Unlimited from the Chuck Renslow collection at the @leathera...
04/22/2021

The Gold Cost staff in 1977. Photograph by A Thousand Words Unlimited from the Chuck Renslow collection at the @leatherarchives. #leatherbars #seventies #gayhistory #lgbtchicago

The Gold Cost staff in 1977. Photograph by A Thousand Words Unlimited from the Chuck Renslow collection at the @leatherarchives. #leatherbars #seventies #gayhistory #lgbtchicago

"Captain Bloomer" and "Captain Cincher" from Bizarre No 12 (1953). #crossdressing #corsets #midcenturyfashion #hists*x
04/20/2021

"Captain Bloomer" and "Captain Cincher" from Bizarre No 12 (1953). #crossdressing #corsets #midcenturyfashion #hists*x

"Captain Bloomer" and "Captain Cincher" from Bizarre No 12 (1953). #crossdressing #corsets #midcenturyfashion #hists*x

Quote from The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo (1981). Photo by Christine Vilm from On Our Backs (Spring 1988). #tomboys ...
04/18/2021

Quote from The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo (1981). Photo by Christine Vilm from On Our Backs (Spring 1988). #tomboys #butch #sissy #gender #hists*x

[The stigma of tomboy has been less than that of sissy because lesbianism is never allowed to become a threatening reality any more than female s*xuality of other kinds.]

Quote from The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo (1981). Photo by Christine Vilm from On Our Backs (Spring 1988). #tomboys #butch #sissy #gender #hists*x

[The stigma of tomboy has been less than that of sissy because lesbianism is never allowed to become a threatening reality any more than female s*xuality of other kinds.]

AIDS Emergency Fund marchers at Leather Walk 2001. Photo from the John B collection at the @leatherarchives. #aidsemerge...
04/18/2021

AIDS Emergency Fund marchers at Leather Walk 2001. Photo from the John B collection at the @leatherarchives. #aidsemergencyfund #lgbtsf #sanfrancisco #leatherwalk

AIDS Emergency Fund marchers at Leather Walk 2001. Photo from the John B collection at the @leatherarchives. #aidsemergencyfund #lgbtsf #sanfrancisco #leatherwalk

Quote from The Seductive Art of Japanese Rope Bo***ge by Midori (2001). Photo from Holly Learns the Ropes No 1 (1982). #...
04/17/2021

Quote from The Seductive Art of Japanese Rope Bo***ge by Midori (2001). Photo from Holly Learns the Ropes No 1 (1982). #ropebo***ge #midori

[Lovers and SM players are inherently restless seekers of heightened experience.]

Quote from The Seductive Art of Japanese Rope Bo***ge by Midori (2001). Photo from Holly Learns the Ropes No 1 (1982). #ropebo***ge #midori

[Lovers and SM players are inherently restless seekers of heightened experience.]

Quote from For a Pornoscape by Paul Willemen (in More Dirty Looks, 2004). Photo from the Cocoon catalog in the @leathera...
04/16/2021

Quote from For a Pornoscape by Paul Willemen (in More Dirty Looks, 2004). Photo from the Cocoon catalog in the @leatherarchives collections. #taboo #hists*x

[Fortunately, no taboo was ever capable of erasing what it sought to obliterate, and this is true of both s*x and cognition. On the contrary, to impose a taboo on something offers a sure-fire guarantee that whatever is thus put under erasure, is sustained as an object of desire.]

Quote from For a Pornoscape by Paul Willemen (in More Dirty Looks, 2004). Photo from the Cocoon catalog in the @leatherarchives collections. #taboo #hists*x

[Fortunately, no taboo was ever capable of erasing what it sought to obliterate, and this is true of both s*x and cognition. On the contrary, to impose a taboo on something offers a sure-fire guarantee that whatever is thus put under erasure, is sustained as an object of desire.]

Join us at 7pm central (8pm eastern)!
04/15/2021

Join us at 7pm central (8pm eastern)!

Join us on Thursday, April 15th, at 8pm eastern/7pm central for the Leather Lap/Top Variety Show. Raquel Phillips will be joined by our very special guest Jackie Thompson. Archivist Mel will be on hand to share some items from the vaults, while we laugh, learn and love with our kink friends and family. Zoom link will be posted in the FB event listing.

Join us on Thursday, April 15th, at 8pm eastern/7pm central for the Leather Lap/Top Variety Show. Raquel Phillips will b...
04/06/2021

Join us on Thursday, April 15th, at 8pm eastern/7pm central for the Leather Lap/Top Variety Show. Raquel Phillips will be joined by our very special guest Jackie Thompson. Archivist Mel will be on hand to share some items from the vaults, while we laugh, learn and love with our kink friends and family. Zoom link will be posted in the FB event listing.

Join us on Thursday, April 15th, at 8pm eastern/7pm central for the Leather Lap/Top Variety Show. Raquel Phillips will be joined by our very special guest Jackie Thompson. Archivist Mel will be on hand to share some items from the vaults, while we laugh, learn and love with our kink friends and family. Zoom link will be posted in the FB event listing.

Our new membership pin is here! Get yours when you join or renew, while they last! Amazing artwork by JJ McLuckie.
04/02/2021

Our new membership pin is here! Get yours when you join or renew, while they last! Amazing artwork by JJ McLuckie.

Our new membership pin is here! Get yours when you join or renew, while they last! Amazing artwork by JJ McLuckie.

Visit LAM today from 11am-7pm.....it’s free every Thursday thanks to our friends at CLAW.
04/01/2021

Visit LAM today from 11am-7pm.....it’s free every Thursday thanks to our friends at CLAW.

Visit LAM today from 11am-7pm.....it’s free every Thursday thanks to our friends at CLAW.

Get your juices flowing with a mug of something hot! Now flagging red AND yellow!
03/23/2021
Four Letter Mugs | Leather Archives & Museum Store

Get your juices flowing with a mug of something hot! Now flagging red AND yellow!

Start your morning with a cup of your favorite warm beverage! These 11oz mugs feature the artwork of Etienne, and the LAM logo on the back. The mug has a white exterior, and flags yellow or red inside and on the handle.

Address

6418 N Greenview Ave
Chicago, IL
60626

Directions to the LA&M The Leather Archives & Museum is located at 6418 N. Greenview Ave. Just 2 doors north of the corner of Devon Ave. & Greenview Ave. We are nextdoor to the Citgo gas station @ Devon and Greenview. The closest major intersection is Clark St. & Devon Ave. Greenview is 2 blocks east of Clark St. Via Public Transportation CTA Bus #s 36-Broadway, 151-Sheridan and 155-Devon stop at the corner of Devon and Greenview. CTA Red Line – Loyola street stop. About a 10 minute walk to the LA&M, or board the #155-Devon bus westbound at the Loyola stop. Walking : Out of the El station, walk south (under the L tracks) on Sheridan Road. At the second stoplight, Devon Ave., turn right. Walk about 6 blocks to Greenview Ave. Turn right at the corner of Devon and Greenview. Via Car From the loop or boystown : Get onto Lake Shore Drive northbound. Take Lake Shore Drive until it ends at Sheridan Rd. Turn right onto Sheridan, so you'll be heading north. Sheridan will curve to the left. Stay in the left lane, as Sheridan Road becomes Devon Ave. Continue west for 6 blocks to Greenview Ave. Parking is available on the street. From the north or west : Take I-294 or I-94 to Touhy Ave. Take Touhy Ave. east to Western Avenue. Go right on Western to Devon Ave. Go left on Devon Ave. to Greenview Ave. Turn left on Greenview Ave. Parking is available on the street.

General information

The 10,000 sq. foot, two-story building holds eight exhibition galleries; a climate controlled archival storage space; a 164-seat auditorium; the G.A.G. Contemporary Fe**sh Gallery, with rotating exhibits by renowned and emerging fe**sh artists from around the world; and a 600 sq. foot reading library to store the research collections.

Opening Hours

Thursday 11:00 - 19:00
Friday 11:00 - 19:00
Saturday 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday 13:00 - 17:00

Telephone

(773) 761-9200

Website

Alerts

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Contact The Museum

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Videos

LA&M Jock Auction
LA&M Jock Auction

LGBT activist Joey McDonald has been involved in the production of IML since he volunteered as a greeter at the first one in 1979. Clip from his Fireside Chat interview with Douglas O'Keeffe. #imlremembers #chicago #leathercommunity

Clip from Chuck Renslow's speech at International Mr. Leather 2007. #IML #imlremembers #leather #fe**sh #kink #leathercommunity #Chicago

We love our 5'11" Sagittarians. Clips of International Mr. Leather 1989 from the @leatherarchives. Kevin Ware was Mr. Chicago Leather 1989 and Guy Baldwin was titled IML 1989. #fiveelevenmen #sagittarianmen #iml #leather

Clips from International Mr. Leather 2000 from the Leather Archives & Museum. #IML #newmillennium #imlremembers #leather #fe**sh #kink #leathercommunity #chicago

Clip from the Legacy of Chuck Renslow, edited by Christina Court for International Mr. Leather 2018. #imlremembers #leathercommunity #solidarity

Due to COVID-19, International Mr. Leather and International Mr. Bootblack are not taking place this Memorial Day weekend. IML/IMBB is the largest contributor to the Leather Archives & Museum through the Renslow Charitable Trust, granted 501(c)3 status this year. We are grateful for the thousands of visitors who gather in Chicago to celebrate each year. Physically and emotionally, events like IML tie us together. We miss you this weekend. Clip from the International Mr. Leather 1996 highlight reel from the @leatherarchives collections. Joe Gallagher was titled IML 1996, the first contestant from New York to be sashed. #nycleather #iml #nineties #thankyou #imlremembers #leather #fe**sh #kink #leathercommunity #chicago

Sister Mysteria - Patron Saint of Fag Hags, Faux Queens, False Eyelashes & Fingerless Gloves
Sister Mysteria - Patron Saint of Fag Hags, Faux Queens, False Eyelashes & Fingerless Gloves

As part of the Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day (today, Saturday, September 22nd), organizations across the country are sharing stories about female trailblazers in the arts, sciences, innovation & culture. The Leather Archives & Museum is sharing a few such trailblazers from our archives. Sister Mysteria (Mystie Grey, 1952-2011) was a professional dominant and one of the first female members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. She was the first out SM dom sister and fundraiser for AIDS with Sister Dana at the first Up Your Alley Fair in 1985. In 1987, she competed in the first International Ms Leather contest. Sister Mysteria was beatified the Patron Saint of Fag Hags, Faux Queens, False Eyelashes, and Fingerless Gloves. To request a pass for FREE Admission to the LA&M for 2 adults (18+ only) for Saturday, September 22nd, please go to https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/venues/museum/leather-archives-museum/. You *must* register in advance through the website to receive the free tickets. #MuseumDay #WomenMakingHistory #leather #fe**sh #kink #B**M #Chicago #Chicagomuseums #museums #RogersPark Source: Sister Dana Sez, San Francisco Bay Times, October 5 2011 and August 10 2017.

The Kinky Rummage Sale is underway. Stop by and check out some of the great buys. Here till 5pm today, and tomorrow 11am-5pm.

A message from activist Daniel Sotomayor Gay Pride 1989 #Resist
A message from activist Daniel Sotomayor Gay Pride 1989 #Resist

A message from activist Daniel Sotomayor Gay Pride 1989 #Resist

Rick Storer's final IML Speech
Rick Storer's final IML Speech

May 22nd 2017 The Leather Archives & Museum announced today that Executive Director Rick Storer will resign to pursue new opportunities. The resignation will take effect June 11th, 2017. Rick Storer joined the Board of the Leather Archives & Museum in 2001 and joined the staff as Executive Director in 2002. During his tenure the organization saw growth in the size of the collection and its accessibility. Rick worked with the Board of Directors to successfully complete a capital campaign in 2004. His guidance and leadership over the past 15 years leave the LA&M poised to collect and provide access to Leather / kink / B**M / fe**sh history and culture for years to come. "I am grateful for the privilege to have worked so closely with the amazing history at the LA&M. I am excited for the bright future of of the Leather Archives," Rick added. This was Rick's last speech at International Mr. Leather.

IMsBB 2003 Donation & Provenance
IMsBB 2003 Donation & Provenance

On September 23, 2015 Videographer Christina Court sat down with International Ms. Bootblack 2003 Eddie and recorded the donation of her collection to the LA&M Women's Leather History Program.

LA&M Board of Directors Vice President & Documentary Filmmaker...
LA&M Board of Directors Vice President & Documentary Filmmaker...

Thank you for tuning in this afternoon for another Facebook Live session with the Leather Archives & Museum! LA&M Board of Directors Vice President & Documentary Filmmaker Christina Court joined us to talk about the museum's upcoming 25th Anniversary Weekend (September 16th to 18th), the LA&M Women's Leather History Program, as well as Court's new film–"By The People: 25 Years of Community Archiving at Leather Archives & Museum"–which will premiere during the anniversary weekend. #LeatherHistory! If you'd like to follow along with updates and developments from the WLHP, you can find the page at LA&M Women's Leather History Program. For more information about LA&M's 25th Anniversary weekend, September 16th to 18th, and to purchase weekend packages, please visit www.leatherarchives.org/anniversary. (Of note: If you are between the ages of 21 and 29–and will be that age during the LA&M Anniversary Weekend–there is a discounted package level for you.) Thanks for watching live (or watching the recorded video), and we hope to see you this September 16th to 18th for our anniversary bash! #Chicago #Chicagomuseums #museums #LAAM #B**M #leather #fe**sh #kink #Chicagohistory #LGBTQ #diversity #RogersPark #Edgewater #FacebookLive #LAAM25thAnniversary #25YearsofLeatherHistory #WomensLeatherHistoryProgram #documentaryfilm #documentaries #filmmaker

LA&M Archivist & Collections Librarian Jakob VanLammeren Talks...
LA&M Archivist & Collections Librarian Jakob VanLammeren Talks...

Did you miss our Facebook Live session from this afternoon? The Leather Archives & Museum broadcasted LIVE today with LA&M Archivist & Collections Librarian Jakob VanLammeren talking about the museum's upcoming 25th Anniversary Weekend (September 16th to 18th), how to donate items to the LA&M, as well as the process of preserving leather/fe**sh/kink history and the role the archives play in the museum’s mission. No worries, though, as you can view the recorded video of VanLammeren’s session to learn more about #LeatherHistory. For information about LA&M’s 25th Anniversary Weekend (September 16th to 18th), check out www.leatherarchives.org/anniversary/index.html for more details. We hope to see you there! #Chicago #Chicagomuseums #museums #LAAM #B**M #leather #fe**sh #kink #Chicagohistory #LGBTQ #diversity #RogersPark #Edgewater #FacebookLive #LAAM25thAnniversary #25YearsofLeatherHistory

Alisa Swindell, Curator of "Excavating Experience: The Presenc...
Alisa Swindell, Curator of "Excavating Experience: The Presenc...

Leather Archives & Museum was just live with Alisa Swindell, curator of our current "Excavating Experience: The Presence of LGBTQ People of Color in Cook County, IL" exhibit. "Excavating Experience" draws upon materials from the museum's archival holdings, as well as images, artifacts, ephemera and oral histories donated by people of color within Cook County's B**M/leather/fe**sh/kink communities specifically for this exhibit. Focusing mainly on participation by people of color in clubs, events and organizations, the LA&M exhibit's goal is to both inspire and to encourage participation. The exhibit–made possible in part by a grant from the LGBT Fund of The Chicago Community Trust-runs until January 8th, 2017. Swindell will be conducting a free guided tour of the “Excavating Experience” this Saturday, August 6th, at LA&M at 3 PM. Free admission during the tour is being sponsored by The Chicago Community Trust. For details on the curator tour, please see www.facebook.com/events/623588801126234/. www.leatherarchives.org #Chicago #Chicagomuseums #museums #LAAM #LeatherHistory #PeopleofColor #CookCounty #B**M #leather #fe**sh #kink #Chicagohistory #LGBTQ #diversity #RogersPark #Edgewater #FacebookLive

Mr. Southern Leather 1987 Contest
Mr. Southern Leather 1987 Contest

New to the collections: Photos from the Mr. Southern Leather 1987 Contest

Copperheads on the run
Copperheads on the run

A little something just for fun. A video from the Connecticut Copperheads collection.

The Leather Archives & Museum celebrates 25 years of Leather H...
The Leather Archives & Museum celebrates 25 years of Leather H...

Join the Leather Archives & Museum as we celebrate 25 Years of Leather History. Parties, receptions, education and a banquet will be at the center of this weekend long celebration. Visit the Anniversary website for more information. http://www.leatherarchives.org/anniversary/index.html

Sailor Sid Livecast
Sailor Sid Livecast

The archival staff from the Leather Archives & Museum gives a sneak peak into the Sailor Sid Diller collection. Get a first glimpse at this amazing collection. You'll learn how the campaign funding has been spent and learn about next steps. (Recorded from a live broadcast)

1987 Le***an Blood Drive news footage
1987 Le***an Blood Drive news footage

From the video news vault: Channel 7 news San Francisco on a le***an blood drive, discrimination and the AIDS crisis

Keeping "Sailor" Sid Diller's legacy alive, online, and free f...
Keeping "Sailor" Sid Diller's legacy alive, online, and free f...

The Leather Archives & Museum, with support from the Association for Professional Piercers, is raising funds to fully digitize an amazing collection of photographs, films and papers from the legendary piercer, Sailor Sid Diller. This film features a tour of the unprocessed collection from LA&M Archivist and Collections Librarian Jakob VanLammeren. Video by : A Sublime Fe**sh Visit the Indiegogo page at igg.me/at/sailor-sid-LAM/x

An interview with Chuck Renslow
An interview with Chuck Renslow

To celebrate the Eagle Rises on December 13, 2014, LA&M volunteer Christina interviewed Chuck Renslow on the history of the Gold Coast and the Chicago Eagle leatherbars in Chicago.

Leathers Room Grand Opening and Leather Preservation Project
Leathers Room Grand Opening and Leather Preservation Project

A video tour of the new leathers storage room at the Leather Archives & Museum

Nimbus Michigan Dunes Run
Nimbus Michigan Dunes Run

What do gay men do on leather runs? Dress up in wigs and nightgowns and sing songs from the movie Grease of course.

Clips from the 1997 San Diego Gay Rodeo
Clips from the 1997 San Diego Gay Rodeo

The Leather Archives & Museum film and video digitization project transfers resources on expiring media (reel film and cassette tapes such as VHS and Beta) to current media (digital files and archival quality DVDs). During the transfer process, the LA&M curates short segments and clips of the film to make available online. Most of the films selected by the curators are no longer available and were produced by organizations no longer in business. The Leather Archives provide clips of these films to get our history out of Chicago and into the world.

Toronto Gay Pride 1996 Leather and Kink People
Toronto Gay Pride 1996 Leather and Kink People

Toronto Gay Pride 1996 Leather and Kink People #LeatherHistory

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Our Story

All sexual orientations and genders are included, and the scope is worldwide! The library houses twelve thousand books and fourteen thousand magazines, plus scholarly publications, films and electronic resources. As for the museum collection, it's full of original erotic art and artifacts from alternative sex organizations and individuals. The archives (viewable by appointment) contain unpublished papers and records from notable BDSM activists, artists, businesses and organizations.

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