Gregory C. Gerhart Poster Collection
Scope and Contents
The Gregory C. Gerhart Poster Collection contains nine posters related to AIDS activism. The posters were produced by members of ACT UP outside of St. Louis, including the AIDS Awareness Committee at Pierce College, Los Angeles; Cardiac Arrest; ACT UP America; and ACT UP Connecticut. They were distributed locally by ACT UP St. Louis. The posters have strong graphics and are intended to be provocative, for example by claiming Christmas was canceled because Santa was infected with HIV and comparing Adolf Hitler ("6+ million murdered") to George H. W. Bush ("3+ million infected-to-die"). They express a great deal of anger toward the government, particularly the Republican Party, and illustrate the belief that the government played an inadequate role in the prevention and development of a cure for the disease.
Dates
- Majority of material found in 1990-1999
Conditions Governing Access
No viewing restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. The user assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Biographical / Historical
In the early 1990s, Greg Gerhart (b. January 30, 1965) was a leading member of ACT UP St. Louis. Part of an international network, the St. Louis chapter of ACT UP used direct action protests to raise awareness about the AIDS crisis and to demand a more forceful government response to the disease. Gerhart, a gay man, came out in the midst of the AIDS crisis and had several close friends who died of AIDS. He participated in ACT UP, he said, as an outlet for his "rage." Gerhart felt that many people were indifferent to the AIDS crisis because its victims were mostly gay. Gerhart was twice arrested in ACT UP protests in St. Louis. He is also the creator of the ACT UP coffin, a piece of protest art that is now one of the most important objects in the Missouri Historical Society's LGBTQIA+ collection. Gerhart is also the subject of a December 2021 oral history interview by Ian Darnell.
Extent
0.04 Cubic Feet ( (2 folders; 9 posters))
Language of Materials
English
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
No physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
Collection donated by Gregory C. Gerhart in 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.
Separated Materials
ACT UP buttons and stickers from this donation are held in the Museum Objects Department.
Formats
Posters
Processing Information
Processed by Lauren Sallwasser, 2023.
- Title
- Guide to the Gregory C. Gerhart Poster 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
Library and Research Center
225 South Skinker Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63105
photo@mohistory.org