View an Extensive LGBTQ+ Collection at Historical Society of Long Beach Archives

While there are other archives dedicated to collecting and preserving  LGBTQ+ history, the Historical Society of Long Beach’s specific focus as well as the accessibility of the objects at HSLB make its collection unique.

More than 20 individual collections are housed at HSLB. They include photographs and photo albums, event programs, flyers, matchbooks, bumper stickers, clothing, Long Beach Pride souvenirs, pins/buttons, banners, posters, magazines, travel and guidebooks, newsletters, newspapers, art pieces and portfolios, tickets, advertisements, business cards, oral histories, videos, correspondence and manuscripts.

Subjects and themes include Long Beach Pride, LGBTQ+ nightlife in Long Beach and the greater Los Angeles area, the International Imperial Court of Long Beach, AIDS activism, healthcare, and education in the 1980s and beyond, artists and art, and organizations and clubs, and political activism.

Jen Malone, archivist at Historical Society of Long Beach said, accessibility and promotion of the LGBTQ+ collections is a top priority at the nonprofit. Since reopening to the public in 2021, Malone noted there have been multiple people from as far away as Germany visit HSLB to research the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Long Beach — a pioneering community in this country.

To access these items in person, request a research appointment 

at: https://tinyurl.com/Reaearch-Request-Form 

Time: 1 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 1 to 7 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 

Cost: Free

Details: LGBTQ+ Collections:https://tinyurl.com/LGBTQ-Collections

Venue: Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach