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Cathy Johnson Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: P1134

Scope and Contents

The Cathy Johnson Collection documents gay and lesbian activism in St. Louis from about 1979-1990. Photographs show the St. Louis contingent at both the 1979 and 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights; the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in St. Louis in 1988; and Team St. Louis at the 1990 Gay Games in Vancouver.

Photographs of the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights show marchers carrying banners identifying the group; signs calling for equal rights; and rainbow Pride flags. Some members of the group are wearing St. Louis Cardinals baseball hats. Some photos show the march in progress, while others show marchers either preparing to march or shortly after the march was complete.

Photographs of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt show volunteers at work installing the quilt, as well as close-ups of quilt squares memorializing St. Louisians who died of AIDS. This was the first exhibition of the quilt in St. Louis, and it took place at Forest Park Community College.

Photographs of Team St. Louis at the Gay Games show two group portraits of team members wearing Team St. Louis t-shirts and posed outdoors against a brick wall.

Dates

  • 1979-1990

Conditions Governing Access

No viewing restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may contain material with privacy concerns. All living people have a right to privacy which ends legally at their death, and federal and state laws and archival ethics protect private, living individuals by giving them a right to be left alone without intrusion into their personal affairs.

Copyright restrictions may apply. The user assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Cathy Johnson was a prominent LGBTQ+ and AIDS activist in the St. Louis area during the 1980s and 1990s. She participated in the St. Louis contingents at the 1979 and 1987 LGBTQ+ marches on Washington. Johnson was also a leading member of the local chapter of ACT UP, and she participated as part of Team St. Louis in the Gay Games. Johnson later moved from St. Louis to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Extent

0.08 Cubic Feet ( (5 folders))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Folders are titled according to groupings created by the donor, with the exception of 1979 March on Washington photos. These arrived grouped with 1987 March on Washington photos, but were identified and separated by the MHS Assistant Curator for LGBTQIA+ Collections. Color prints are stored separately from black and white prints for preservation purposes.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

No physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

Collection donated by Cathy Johnson, 2022.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital copies and item-level records of select images are posted as they are created and can be accessed through the Online Collections on the Missouri Historical Society website (mohistory.org/collections).

Digitized images are generated from the original item whenever possible and files are adjusted only to ensure an accurate representation. Master files are saved in TIF format and JPEG viewing files are automatically generated from the master files.

Formats

Photographs

Processing Information

Processed by Lauren Sallwasser, 2023.

Title
Guide to the Cathy Johnson Photograph Collection.
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Lauren Sallwasser 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, Photographs and Prints Department Repository

Contact:
Library and Research Center
225 South Skinker Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63105