Leather Archives & Museum: 25 Years

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:
GENERAL RESEARCH
Research at the LA&M is conducted in many
forms, varying scales, and by a diverse population
of individuals who are thirsty for historical
knowledge about our communities. In
conjunction with museum exhibits and the
Teri Rose Memorial Library, research at the
LA&M is a key avenue through which the
institution provides the public with access to
its rich archival collections.
We serve the research needs of community
members, local undergraduate students,
national and international doctoral candidates
conducting dissertation research, and
independent scholars and writers. There is a
wide range of academic interest in the museum
and its rich collections; this includes
students in the fields of Gender and Women's
studies, Library and Information Science,
Art History, Arts Administration, Journalism,
History, and Museum Studies. Since
2013 alone, the LA&M has assisted approximately
430 researchers! We anticipate that
in the next quarter century the need and demand
for archival research and engagement
with the primary resource materials at the
LA&M will significantly increase.
The library collections held in the Teri Rose
Memorial Library are available during normal
business hours without an appointment.
For archival research, the LA&M requires an
appointment. For more information, please
visit us at: http://leatherarchives.org/
archives.html
VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM
In 2016, The Leather Archives & Museum
announced a call for its sixth annual Visiting
Scholar Program for academic year 2016-
2017. Scholars awarded this opportunity to
conduct project-based research using the
collections and receive a stipend of $1,000.
This award is intended to support visiting
scholars during their residency at the
LA&M. In addition, a travel reimbursement
allowance of up to $1,000 will also be provided
to the recipients. Program participants
propose a project that has the potential to
enhance the institution’s mission to disseminate
information to the public about the history
of the leather / fetish / BDSM community
and its culture. The LA&M is particularly
interested in projects that may provide materials
for display in its galleries, as traveling
exhibit, or as an online exhibition. Three
types of scholars are eligible for the Visiting
Scholar Program: 1) scholars with academic
appointments; 2) Graduate students pursuing
an MFA or PhD; 3) Independent scholars
with an established research agenda.
The essay reproduced here was written by
Lily Emerson, the LA&M Visiting Scholar for
academic year 2014-2015. At the time of her
research in the archives, Emerson was a
doctoral candidate at the University of Auckland,
New Zealand. Emerson’s research at
the LA&M followed the development of sadomasochism
in the U.S., with a particular
focus on the cities of San Francisco and
Chicago. She received her MA in History in
2012.
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