Ephemera Collection
Capes and jackets and matchbooks, oh my!
The Archives has a wonderful assortment of ephemera, also referred to as Lesbiana. From clothing to dildos, to everything in between- you will find lots of rainbow and other flags, handmade mugs and candleholders, bookmarks, rubber stamps, jewelry, and decorative items. You will find a
collection of matchbooks from old dyke bars and other queer venues, and badges honoring various organizations. You will find clothing here such as the jacket of an Army medic worn in Vietnam, a Lesbian Avenger cape, and Bobby Prebis’ hardhat with a Lambda on it and her pair of hobnail boots which she wore as she drove a forklift truck in the steel mills of Buffalo, New York, in the 50s. All of this was donated by lesbians who collected this memorabilia and perhaps displayed it in their homes before it found its way to us. Like most of our collections, the list is forever growing. Some of this material will be on rotating display regularly.
