tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869415038916791693.post2992935408121083863..comments2022-12-31T11:20:33.999-06:00Comments on Billy's Musings...: Brandon Wolf: Houston's Archive Scene and How it Got to Where it is and What Could be DoneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08538310497095882320noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869415038916791693.post-34249160726392777982014-04-18T11:10:14.679-05:002014-04-18T11:10:14.679-05:00The only porn ONE/HIC had was a small effort to sh...The only porn ONE/HIC had was a small effort to show how it changed over the years. From ou view, the archives and libraries of the movement wanted to document for history how it began and who was in it and a timeline. That is helped by at least sample copies of organizations' newsletters, more than the public books, most of which were worthless-such as Sixth Man, etc. and which were in most major public libraries anyway.<br /><br />For instance, what porn? We had no need for hetero porn. And nudity magazines, for instance, were not "gay." So we had no worry, and as far as I know neither do professional librarians-which means it is in libraries so no children would be able to see it anyway.<br /><br />I did not consider early "porn" such as Grecian Guild or Physique Pictorial to be "porn." The first "movement" effort was, I assume, Drum. The personal/meeting ads in Advocate would not be a problem, but were to ONE readers, who would have canceled their subscriptions if we had them. (But then it might have helped boost newsstand sales. BUT we did not want to hear later that someone had been harmed by someone they met through ads in the magazine.)<br /><br />The one discussion I ever had with the issue for our collection was-and I do not remember who else was there-when John O'Brien was explaining the plans for 909 and that if porn-remember, Dorr got major support from Hal Call, whose money came from porn and I assume had material he could donate-became a worry (for USC) the plan was to buy the lot next door and build a separate building to house it. At the time I think he wa a paid Executive Director or something, but I am not sure other members knew he said this. I never heard any more. I think Stuart Timmons was alslo an ED at ONE Archives for a time. And I wonder if the Lesbian Collection directors and other people knew of the issue?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08538310497095882320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869415038916791693.post-70501507860555560962014-04-18T11:09:58.913-05:002014-04-18T11:09:58.913-05:00Hello Brandon,
No when I visited the archive, se...Hello Brandon,<br /> <br />No when I visited the archive, several times, the porn was in the back room of the archive. I was told it was there because the door could be locked. The church was very concerned that a minor might see the porn, so they insisted that it be kept in the back room. Also, Larry was very excited about categorizing the porn.<br /> <br />At the time, I was talking to Larry about making a donation. He said the donation would be used for acid free filing systems, many of which he purchased with his own money.<br /> <br />I also inquired about getting a friend of mine to help out with the archive. He was gay and in town caring after his ailing parents. I figured that he could meet some new friends and help out at the same time. (Since I am straight, I didn’t know many gays in the Houston area.)<br /> <br />Larry stated that the archive needed help sorting and categorizing the porn. I still tried to get them together for lunch, but my buddy Tom changed his mind after talking with Larry.<br /> <br />So let me confirm this for you. During the last year to two years of the archives existence;<br /> <br />1) The archive was 35% porn.<br /> <br />2) Volunteer work was being used to sort porn into categories<br /> <br />3) The church was concerned about minors seeing the porn.<br /> <br />None of this bothered me. Also, I was shocked to hear from Larry about the demise of the archive. However, when it occurred my first thought was the porn factored into the church decision.<br /> <br />That does not mean that the porn had anything to do with it. My statement about the amount of porn stands.Russell Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869415038916791693.post-51540291769256166402014-04-18T11:09:34.476-05:002014-04-18T11:09:34.476-05:00Thank you Russell, for your comments and your inte...Thank you Russell, for your comments and your interest. <br /> <br />I think that perhaps when you saw the collection, it may have been when Larry made a personal purchase of a ‘motherlode’ of porn from some source. And for some reason, had it delivered to the archive. But I’m pretty sure he took all that home. <br /> <br />Starting in 2008, I brought several people to the archive, who I hoped could and would be influential in helping it. The archive I saw couldn’t possibly have been 35% porn. At best, maybe 5%. There were all the bookshelves of books, an activist archive room with 100+ ‘file storage boxes’ of papers, boxes of gay publications like TWT and the Voice, etc. Larry told me at one point the porn that was there, was way back behind the TWT’s etc. I think he could store boxes three deep, and they were well hidden. <br /> <br />I definitely agree with you about leaving things to organizations. I’m very skeptical now. <br /> <br />This past week, I looked for and found the different documents that were collected when the fight with the church started after they announced the sale. <br /> <br />If you and/or Billy have a few minutes to review them and offer your more objective opinions, they would be welcomed. You’re far enough removed from it all, to be more objective. I will send them in separate emails later today. There will probably be five or six – they are the pivotal documents, in my mind. <br /> <br />Thanks,<br />Brandon Brandon Wolfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869415038916791693.post-92149899915769971512014-04-18T11:08:54.736-05:002014-04-18T11:08:54.736-05:00Enter Larry Crisione and two volunteers. Larry ...Enter Larry Crisione and two volunteers. Larry put up shelving and got things arranged – bought a portable a/c so the volunteers could work during the week – and started indexing everything. He did have porn, but it was a minor part of the collection and under tight control.<br /> <br />Larry spent a lot of his own money on the restoration effort. Acid free filing was the biggest expense. Larry also set up card table educational presentations.<br /> <br />But I will say that the collection I saw was 35% porn. Hard porn. And the current volunteer work was classifying the porn into categories.<br /> <br />It is tragic, the whole thing. Larry was providing a great service. But then it all comes down to the will. Had it be written better, the data might still be available. But would it have had Larry’s preservation efforts?<br /> <br />Churches are notorious cheats, like most non for profit groups. For instance, forty years ago someone left all the land from 45 to grogans mill, along the north side of sawdust to the local methodist church. It took the national church thirty years to strip the local church of all of its income from these properties. Then they forced them to sell the church and move.<br /> <br />Beware of leaving things to organizations.<br />For instance, Boy Scout camps work the same way.<br /> <br />Thank you Brandon for that valuable history lesson.Russell Wilsonnoreply@blogger.com