Leather Archives & Museum: 25 Years

COLLECTIONS HIGHLIGHT:
SAILOR SID PIERCING COLLECTION
In May 2015, the LA&M and the Association
of Professional Piercers (APP) launched a
crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo
to support the digitization, processing,
preservation, rehousing, and exhibition of
the Sailor Sid Diller Piercing Collection. Additionally,
at International Mr. Leather and
the APP conference in 2015, awareness and
funds were raised for this Collection. Paul
King, Committee Chairperson and APP
treasurer, played an integral role in connecting
APP and LA&M for the preservation of
the Sid Diller collection.
arrangement and description of this Collection
using archival standards and best practices.
Many hours of carefully removing photographs
from harmful photo pages, cataloging
papers, digitization and film preservation
was and is required to keep this collection
available for generations to come. Additionally,
the digital collection, as well as the finding
aid, are now available online.
The APP played a pivotal role in this project
through their support, financial generosity,
and sharing networks and expertise. The
archival work, including digitization and exhibit
creation, was completed by Archivist/
Collections Librarian Jakob VanLammeren
and Project Intern Julissa Gillig at the LA&M.
In 2016, a traveling exhibit for the Sailor Sid
Diller Piercing Collection was developed and
unveiled at the APP 2016 conference, and
featured 18 six foot banners, three monitors
featuring interviews with LA&M staff, Sailor
Sid, and home movies from the collection;
and two exhibit cases with original archival
materials from the Sid Collection.
Sailor Sid Piercing Collection will benefit
leather and piercing aficionados alike. By
joining forces, the LA&M and APP are excited
to see this collection come to life.
Thanks to the APP and over 100 supporters
$22,477.55 was raised to fund this project.
By supporting the Sailor Sid Diller Online
Photograph Collection Indiegogo campaign,
you helped fund the complete processing,
“Sailor” Sidney Eugene Diller was born to
Moris S. Diller and Daisie Diller in Chicago,
Illinois on March 8, 1910. Little is known
about Sid’s childhood, but an archivist at the
Illinois Institute of Technology confirmed that
he was a student there from c. 1941-1946.
Sid also worked as an electrician at a hotel
in Chicago according to the 1940 census,
and served as an electrician's mate in WWII
with the USCG c. 1941-1948 before moving
to Miami Florida c. 1950. In a PFIQ inter-
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