Lesbian and gay history getting 'Out There'
Lesbian and gay history getting 'Out There'
21 February 2006
Being young, gay and 'out there' in 1930s London, one of only a few places to pitch your tent for a night on the town, was The Caravan club.
Unfortunately this campsite, in an era of homosexual illegality, was also well known to the authorities - as evidence recently uncovered from a Director of Primary Prosecutions file at The National Archives attests.
The Caravan club looked not unlike the Moroccan or Egyptian themed bars found in London today, with elaborate drapes hanging from the ceiling and Arabian rugs lining the walls, but its claim to be 'the most unconventional spot in town' had a completely different cultural slant.
This photographic evidence of London's past underground gay culture is only a taste of what is out there, as The National Archives (in partnership with the London Metropolitan Archives) launches a pilot project to develop a new online resource on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) history. Find out more
The "Out There" project will work throughout 2006 to bring together archival collections from across the UK that are relevant to LGBT history, making it easier to see what information is available, where it is stored and how to access it.
Initial searches through archived files have uncovered:
The official record sheet of Oscar Wilde's entry into Wandsworth Prison after his conviction for gross indecency in 1895.
A witness statement from a sodomy case 1698 describing the comings and goings at the George Tavern Pall Mall.
A ballad sheet from 1762 featuring an image of a homosexual man in the stocks and verses of a song - Molly Exalted.
Flyer for Hotel Staff Dances run by barman "Lady Austin" in 1932. Raided by the Metropolitan Police, 33 of "Lady Austin's Camp Boys" and one woman were arrested.
Drag Queen's evening clothes worn by a man attending one of "Lady Austin's" dances in 1932. Used in evidence at the trial following a raid by the Metropolitan Police.
Earl of Castlehaven: an account of his trial (for rape and sodomy) and execution, prepared for publication 1613.
Photograph and flyer of the Caravan Club, a London gay club of 1930s.
Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet and the Booker Prize short listed Fingersmith, said:
"This is a really exciting development, which should introduce LGBT material to all sorts of researchers, as well as making life easier for those of us already engaged in the thrilling process of teasing out queer stories from the past.
"I hope, too, that the website will inspire other archivists into reconsidering their collections and adding their own links to the site."
Dr Matt Houlbrook, Liverpool University Professor and author of the Longman History Today Book of the Year, 'Queer London', said historical research into sexual minorities had previously been hampered by a lack of specific cataloguing in archives.
"On the surface, catalogues within British archives simply don't seem to include any information that might be relevant to gay and lesbian history."
"But, search a bit deeper and you quickly realise that there's an incredible body of rich, compelling and moving historical evidence of this aspect of Britain's past.
"At times, the sheer volume of material on gay and lesbian history became overwhelming. I'm sure that this is only the tip of the iceberg - there must be so many more items like this in other archives just waiting for someone to unearth."
The National Archives Chief Executive Natalie Ceeney said that while archives can never tell the whole story, there is more documentation and references to same sex relationships available in historic records than many people think.
"The National Archives welcomes the opportunity to work with London Metropolitan Archives to promote the use of records in researching the history of sexuality."
"While historians are already publishing important material they have found in UK archive collections, we want to encourage more people to come and ask questions of the records. 'Out There' is one way to help researchers locate the material which has not yet been flagged up in formal catalogues."
Under the guidance of London Metropolitan Archives a pilot group of archives has been formed, with The National Archives putting together an online portal on their findings.
Dr Deborah Jenkins, head archivist at London Metropolitan Archives, run by the City of London, said:
"Material at London Metropolitan Archives which relates to the LGBT community goes back many centuries. There are references in records relating to church and secular courts, campaigning groups and in local government collections.
"The portal will help people track down this important social history by identifying where important items can be found, opening up collections in new and significant ways."
The launch of the pilot was scheduled to coincide with Lesbian and Gay History Month in February. It is hoped other UK archives will add their material to expand the portal and help a national rollout of the project at the end of this year.
Organisations already contributing include: Borthwick Institute for Archives, Brighton Ourstory, London School of Economics and Political Science, National Register of Archives, Access to Archives (A2A), and Archives Hub.
