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Attitudes Nightclub Collection

 Collection
Identifier: A3241

Scope and Contents

The collection is comprised of tickets, business cards, and posters displayed in Attitudes Nightclub, which were collected when it closed in August 2020. The items are arranged chronologically and date from 1988 to 2020 with gaps from 1989-1990, 1992-2017, and 2019. There are tickets (two copies of each) to two New Year's Eve parties held at Attitudes. The first ticket dates from the first party held at the club in 1988. The second ticket dates from the 2018 New Year’s Eve party. There is also a plastic commemorative business card celebrating Attitudes Nightclub's thirty-two years in business (two copies). Attitudes distributed the cards free of charge at its closing night event on August 20, 2020. There are two posters that hung in the club. The earliest poster dates from about September 1991 and is an enlarged copy of a letter to the editor of the ShowMe Guide from a “Distressed Patron of Attitudes.” The patron alleged that a portion of an Attitudes advertisement in LesTalk was taken out of context in ShowMe Guide #62 (Aug-Sept 1991). In the letter, the Attitudes patron addressed concerns that Attitudes was an exclusively lesbian bar and unfriendly to gay men. It explained the importance of women-focused spaces while also arguing that men were welcome at the club. This letter illuminates the complex relationship between lesbians and gay men and the distinctive history of lesbian-centered social spaces. The owners of Attitudes thought the letter effectively captured Attitudes' identity and displayed a framed copy at the bar. The second poster dates from the summer of 2020 and is related to the Covid-19 pandemic. It features the business's logo and begins in letter format, “To all Attitudes customers.” It explains the measures taken by the club to reopen under the City of St. Louis guidelines, which includes asking patrons to wear masks and to practice social distancing. It ends, “We understand if you remain apprehensive about social gatherings still. If so, please remain at home and hopefully we’ll see you when the time is right for you.”

Dates

  • 1988-2020

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Historical Sketch

Attitudes was a nightclub owned and operated by Jann Brigulio and Bonnie Stevens, who were romantic as well as business partners. The club opened in 1988 at 4100 Manchester Avenue in The Grove neighborhood (Forest Park Southeast) of St. Louis. Attitudes was primarily a lesbian bar, explicitly marketing itself as "Owned and Operated by Womyn," but it gradually embraced a broader clientele of LGBTQ+ people. The club served food and drink, hosted drag shows and other entertainment, and was a destination for dancing. Owners Brigulio and Stevens retired in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when the city of St. Louis set strict rules under which bars could be open to limit the spread of the disease. At the time of its closing in August 2020, Attitudes was the longest-running LGBTQ+ drinking establishment in the St. Louis area.

Extent

0.06 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder, 1 oversize folder))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Chronological.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by Ian Darnell in 2022 (accession number 2022-077).

Sources Consulted During Processing

1. 1. Hurwitz, Sophie. “How Attitudes Nightclub Created — and Transformed — St. Louis’ Queer Nightlife,” them website, 16 December 2020, https://www.them.us/story/attitudes-nightclub-st-louis-queer-nightlife-covid-19.

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2023.

Title
Attitudes Nightclub Collection
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510