Last Call! Final Week for 20th Anniversary Exhibition!

They say all good things must come to an end. And that is the case with our 20th anniversary exhibition Queerest.Library.Ever. One week from today, Sunday, August 7th is the last day to see the show before we begin to put back all of the letters, scrapbooks, photos, and objects.

Tom Nicoll viewing the Tom of Finland display
(Photo courtesy of Brian Castagne)

I know you're asking "What does that really mean?"

It means...
If you haven't had a chance to see Gay Monopoly, go to the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch library, go directly to EVA, do not pass go...there you'll see Queer and Quirky: OBJECTifying Ourselves.

It also means...
If you're wondering who was on the Hormel Founders Committee and what their hairstyles were 20-odd years ago, you should visit the Hormel Center exhibition on the 3rd floor of the Main Library. You'll find materials on the beginnings of the Center and photos from the Shades of LGBTQI collecting project along with original artwork from Reversing Vandalism.

Sylvester
(GLC 101 Collection on Sylvester)

And if you'd like to see a photo of a young Sylvester, and of an even younger Jewelle Gomez, you'll want to stop by the Main Library's Jewett Gallery (lower level). The exhibition showcases an array of archival material that highlights activism, community and the ways we find to come together, visual representation of ourselves and by ourselves, and lesbian love within literary and publishing circles.

And, finally, if you'd like to know what we had on display 10 years ago, visit the Main Library's 6th floor bridge to rediscover the traveling panel exhibition "Out At The Library."

Don't miss your chance to see the exhibition. Plan to visit this week.

Puttin' on the Ritz

Kreemah Ritz, 1970 (c) Fayette Hauser

Kreemah Ritz, that is! Born Daryl Simmonds in 1947, Kreemah Ritz was his stage name when he performed with the San Francisco-based theatrical troupe The Cockettes (1970-1972). His Papers are now available for research.

Ritz is probably best known for his parody of Richard Nixon in the cult film classic Tricia's Wedding. He also played Bald-Headed Sally who is eaten by a giant lizard in the film Elevator Girls in Bondage. He helped write and direct over twenty of the Cockettes' shows, which ranged from unscripted reviews to scripted productions.

Tricia's Wedding, 1971

The Kreemah Ritz Papers contain flyers, posters, scripts, correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and audio-visual materials that document the performances of The Cockettes, and of Sylvester, a singer who performed with The Cockettes and then pursued a solo career.

Diary of a Cockette in...New York, 1971

The Subject Files series contains clippings and ephemera about The Cockettes and the members of the troupe after it disbanded. Of special note are the Cockettes history and the Diary of a Cockette. There are also materials about Sylvester, such as concert tickets, posters and flyers, bumper stickers, and biographical information.




The Ritz Papers have a fairly complete collection of the posters and announcement cards produced for Cockettes shows, Nocturnal Dream Shows presentations, and various performances and events by troupe members after the group disbanded. Early posters are often hand-drawn. The posters are organized by size and then by date, and run the gamut from purely informational to beautifully detailed artwork by Todd Trexler, Pristine Condition, John Flowers, Steven Arnold and others.
 

March 1972

Miss de Meanor, July 1972

Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma (Dani Gray, artist)

The photographs of Cockettes performances and of particular performers primarily cover the years 1970-1972. The photographers include Scott Runyon, Fayette Hauser, David Wise, Rink, Clay Geerdes, Cheese Dream, and Puck Perkins. One folder contains images taken by San Francisco Art Institute students in 1970. There are some later photographs by Daniel Nicoletta.

The collection contains an audiotape of the Cockettes' November 26, 1971 performance of Pearls Over Shanghai, and stage song highlights from 1972. It also includes a videotape of Sylvester's concert at Dreamland on June 20, 1980.

Prissy, Kreemah, Sebastian & Miss Bobbi at UC Davis, 1970s

To find out more about Kreemah Ritz and the Cockettes, please come see The Kreemah Ritz Papers (GLC 79) which are available through the San Francisco History Center, 6th floor, Main Library. The photographs are available during the hours for the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.

The Peter Mintun Cockettes Collection

Sylvester and Peter Mintun

When we think about musical performances, we often picture the headliner. Elvis, Celine Dion, Leontyne Price. Equally vital, but often less memorable, is the accompanist or backup band. These performers are integral to a successful performance and have a view that's far different from the audience perspective.

Allow me to present Peter Mintun. Due to his talent playing 1920s and 1930s songs, he was recruited by John Rothermel to become the piano accompanist for the Cockettes, an experimental theater troupe. Mintun served as accompanist for the Cockettes for many of their early 1970s performances, often under the stage name Peter Arden. When the Cockettes went to New York in 1971, Mintun remained in San Francisco. His last performance with the troupe was Vice Palace in October 1972.

The Peter Mintun Cockettes Collection (GLC 78) contains photographs of the Cockettes, especially Sylvester and John Rothermel, flyers, show sequence sheets and some scripts for Cockettes performances. It also includes correspondence and contracts, newspaper clippings and published articles about the Cockettes, and some audiorecordings. The finding aid is available through the Online Archive of California.

Three items (a flyer, cast list, and song sheet) from Mintun's collection are on display at the de Young Museum's photo exhibition: Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Friedkin documented GLBT life in Los Angeles. In 1972 he came to San Francisco and photographed the Cockettes. One of those images is of Peter Arden (Mintun) and John Rothermel at the Palace Theater. The final result of Friedkin's work was a book, The Gay Essay. His maquette of the book is on exhibit and it's also available through Daylight Editions. The Mintun/Rothermel image appears in the book's Theater section. I'm happy to note that the Mintun collection has a print of the same image.

Sylvester outside 946 Haight St.

John Rothermel and Sylvester were both successful in pursuing solo careers outside of the Cockettes. Mintun accompanied them both. The collection includes some wonderful snapshots of Sylvester, along with flyers and advertisements for Sylvester's and Rothermel's performances.

The song sheets, performance lists, flyers, photos and contracts, all provide a back stage perspective on the shows with the Cockettes, Sylvester, and John Rothermel. Taken together, the collection also manages to give us a better glimpse of a performer who did not seek the spotlight.

The Peter Mintun Cockettes Collection (GLC 78) is available through the San Francisco History Center, 6th floor, Main Library. The photographs are available during the hours for the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.