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Leather Archives and Museum

Museum of leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish subculture
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Leather Archives & Museum
File:Leather Archives & Museum Logo.png
Double-doored entrance to a one-story brick building with stairs leading up to the doorway.
LA&M entrance (2023)
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EstablishedSeptember 18, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-09-18)
Location6418 N Greenview Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60626
United States
FounderChuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase
Executive directorGary Wasdin
Websiteleatherarchives.org

The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is "making leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement."[1][2][3] Renslow and DeBlase founded the museum in response to the AIDS crisis, during which the leather and fetish communities' history and belongings were frequently lost or intentionally suppressed and discarded.[4]

The LA&M is a leading conservator of queer erotic art. Its permanent collection features some of the most iconic LGBT artists of the twentieth century, including most artwork by Bill Schmeling and many works by Dom Orejudos.[5][6]

The museum is open to patrons 18 years of age and over.[7] It is a 501(c)(3)-registered non-profit organization.[8] Research assistance is available upon request.[9]

History[edit | edit source]

In 1991, Dom Orejudos, Chuck Renslow's partner of 40 years, passed away from AIDS.[10] When Orejudos was alive, Renslow had begun selling off some of his art to pay for medical treatment, but upon his death, Renslow was determined to preserve Orejudos' art and legacy.[10] Renslow was unable to find a museum willing to preserve Orejudos' entire body of work;[11] although multiple museums expressed interest in his art, they wished to pick and choose specific artworks, whereas Renslow wished to keep the collection intact.[10]

After consulting his friend Tony DeBlase, Renslow set about creating a new museum to forever preserve not just Orejudos' art and legacy, but also that of other leather artists and trailblazers.[10] In Renslow's words, "we were in the thick of the AIDS epidemic and with each death, families and friends were unknowingly tossing our history into dumpsters. That there was a safe place to conserve that history simply made more sense."[10] Former LA&M president[12] Jon Krongaard elaborated on the erasure of leather and fetish history common at that time, and the importance of the museum in giving a voice to that history:

In the 1980s, AIDS came along and there were things relevant in telling the story to the future that were lost because when someone died and the families would swoop in to clean up, finding these things was considered sick or perverse. They didn’t want to talk about it. These were pieces of artwork or bar vests with dozens of event pins, or old publications and magazines, and a host of other things that were incinerated or are rotting away in a landfill somewhere because parents or family members didn’t understand. This puts all that in a safe place. Enemies can’t get to it, families can’t throw it away, our history cannot be dismissed because people don’t understand it and therefore think it’s garbage. There are a lot of folks that aren’t here anymore and their stories can never be told. Each and every person whether you are just starting out or you’ve been around for fifty years, we all have a story to tell. Those who died young, their stories stopped. With so many stories gone it is incumbent upon those who survive to give that lost generation a voice. I tell the twenty- and thirty-somethings that these people fought the battles then so you can do what you do now a lot easier than you could even 15 years ago.[4]

The LA&M was incorporated in the State of Illinois in 1991.[2] It held a ribbon cutting ceremony and its first public gallery show on November 4, 1995. Its first storefront was at 5013 N Clark Street, adjacent to Man’s Country bathhouse.[10] As envisioned, the LA&M became a sanctuary for leather and fetish history and art; the scale of donated art and artifacts quickly overwhelmed the capacity of the Clark St storefront.[10][4]

Members of the leather and fetish communities played a pivotal role in establishing the museum. In addition to donating much of the collection, they provided crucial financial support. As the museum outgrew its storefront, Renslow and DeBlase identified a former synagogue on Greenview Ave ideal to house the growing collection.[10][13] They could afford only $3,000 of the $60,000 down payment required to buy the Greenview Ave property, so they appealed to International Mr. Leather attendees, who raised $58,000 in donations in a single night.[10] The LA&M moved into the Greenview Ave building, in which it remains to this day, in 1999.[14][15] Over the next five years, the community raised the funds necessary to pay off the building's mortgage.[10]

Wooden library shelves and wood study table with lamp. Many books line the shelves along with small human figurines. A sunlit window frames a stained glass outline of a human in leather vest and chaps.
Teri Rose Memorial Library (2015)

DeBlase served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the LA&M from 1992 until 2000.[16] In May 2006, the LA&M's executive director Rick Storer participated in a panel discussion entitled "Censorship & Sexually Explicit Materials" at the 2006 LGBTQ Archives, Libraries, Museums and Special Collections (ALMS) Conference.[17][18]

In May 2009, the LA&M announced that International Mr. Leather proceeds would be placed in a trust to benefit the museum.[19] The museum also receives funding from other leather events including Cleveland Annual Leather Weekend (CLAW) and Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) in D.C.[20] Also in 2009, the LA&M acquired the 25-box collection of papers of Robert Davolt, author and organizer of the San Francisco Pride leather contingent, and the former editor of Bound & Gagged.[21][22]

In 2016, the LA&M celebrated its 25th anniversary with a weekend-long celebration featuring Gayle Rubin and Guy Baldwin.[23]

In 2019, several months before he died, Bill Schmeling donated all of his artwork, notes, and other materials to the LA&M.[5]

In 2024, the LA&M announced a capital campaign to renovate the museum, including the addition of dedicated research space, flexible event space, and ADA-compliant accessibility.[13]

Collection[edit | edit source]

It is estimated that just one percent of the museum's collection is on display at any given time.[11]

Leather pride flag[edit | edit source]

The LA&M holds one of three original leather pride flags created by Tony DeBlase in 1989.[24]

red, blue, and black flag folded within a triangular storage case.
Original leather pride flag on display at LA&M (2023)

Drawings[edit | edit source]

The museum has the world's largest collection of original artwork by Dom Orejudos (Etienne); the entire personal collection of artwork and notes by Bill Schmeling (the Hun);[5][4] and originals by Touko Valio Laaksonen (Tom of Finland),[4] Charles Kerbs (MATT),[25] Chuck Arnett,[4] Olaf Odegaard,[26] and Jacki Randall.[4]

One of the museum's largest paintings is The Last Supper In a Gay Leather Bar With Judas Giving Christ the Finger by Steven Brown, inspired by the artist's struggle to reconcile faith and sexuality.[4]

Photography[edit | edit source]

LA&M holds photographs by Kris Studios, a male physique photography studio founded by Renslow and Orejudos (named in part to honor transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen).[27][28][29][30] It also has photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe,[4] Kenneth Anger,[31] and George Dureau.[32]

Literature[edit | edit source]

The collection includes complete sets of the magazines Drummer (original run) and Bound & Gagged.[6][33]

The collection includes notable writings such as the records of International Mr. Leather, the National Leather Association, and the Mineshaft,[34] as well as the papers of Tony DeBlase.[6][4] Hundreds of oral history recordings, videos and transcripts by leather and fetish trailblazers such as Joe Laiacona (better known by his alias Jack Rinella)[35] are also available to researchers.[36][4][37][38]

Artifacts[edit | edit source]

The collection includes artifacts from LGBT motorcycle clubs and leather clubs from around the world, including patches and pins.[39][20][31] LA&M also displays ephemera from historic gay establishments, such as a glory hole from Man's Country (Chicago),[40] the original dress code sign from the Mineshaft (New York City),[4] and Mike Caffee's "Leather David" statue from Fe-Be's (San Francisco).[31][41]

Facilities[edit | edit source]

Etienne Auditorium (2024)

Etienne Auditorium[edit | edit source]

The LA&M contains a 164-seat auditorium[7] named in honor of Dom Orejudos (who signed his artwork under the alias Etienne); the auditorium is adorned with original Etienne artwork from the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, and elsewhere.[42][43]

The auditorium is a hub for leather- and fetish-related events, community meetings, and lectures.[4][44][45] The event space is available to rent for a fee, but is made available for free for small not-for-profit community group gatherings.[7][46][31]

The auditorium is home to the LA&M's annual Fetish Film Forum.[47]

Teri Rose Memorial Library[edit | edit source]

The Teri Rose Memorial Library, opened in 2005, allows visitors and researchers free access to a wide variety of books, periodicals, and catalogs.[48][7] The non-circulating library contains more than 5,000 books, 11,000 magazines (including Honcho and Mandate)[49], and 100 journals.[4][11]

Gift Shop[edit | edit source]

LA&M's gift shop sells vintage erotica, apparel, and a variety of merchandise, much of which feature art by Etienne and the Hun.[50] The gift shop has a small physical presence in the museum as well as an online store.[11][50]

Recognition[edit | edit source]

In 2016, Chicago City Council designated September 18, 2016 as "LEATHER ARCHIVES & MUSEUM DAY" in honor of the museum's 25th anniversary (Resolution R2016-704).[51]

The LA&M was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2017.[52]

The LA&M has received numerous honors and awards from leather organizations, including:

  • Pantheon of Leather Awards - Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year: 1997, 2001, 2006, and 2011.[53]
  • International Deaf Leather Recognition Award: 2011.[54]
  • Induction into Leather Hall of Fame: 2019.[55]

LA&M leaders have also received numerous honors:

  • Chuck Renslow, who died in 2017,[28] is listed as the Chairman In Memoriam of the LA&M.[56] The LA&M also gives out the Chuck Renslow President's Award to honor individuals and organizations for their contributions to the museum.[57]
  • Joseph Bean, while executive director of the LA&M, received the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 1998 and 2000,[58][59] and the Steve Maidhof Award for National or International Work from the National Leather Association International in 1998.[60]
  • Rick Storer, while executive director of the LA&M, received the President's Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2005, the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2008, the Mr. Marcus Hernandez Lifetime Achievement Award (Man) as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2012, and the National Leather Association International Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.[17][59][61]

Exhibits[edit | edit source]

Past and present exhibits include:

In regard to the name of A Room of Her Own, curator Alex Warner wrote,[62]

As I began work for the first exhibit installation of the Women's Leather History Project, I was excited that we were both literally and figuratively making room for Leatherwomen's history in the LA&M. It was out of this line of thinking that "A Room of Her Own" emerged, building on Virginia Woolf's 1929 feminist text A Room of One's Own that argues for women's need for space to think and create.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ About the LA&M. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2022-07-10.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ridinger, Robert (2005). "Founding of the Leather Archives & Museum". LGBT History, 1988-1992 [serial online]. LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 33–36.
  3. ↑ Shapiro, Gregg. (2011). "Leatherman's man: an interview with Chuck Renslow's biographer Owen Keehmen". Outlook: Columbus. 16 (1). LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 48. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Keehnen, Owen (2008-05-21). The Leather Archives and Museum: To protect and serve (in en-US). Windy City Times. Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Peregrin, Tony (18 February 2020). Drawn together (in en). Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2020-05-08.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kane, "Drummer," and DeBlase — Rick Storer, Leather Archives & Museum. San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group (2014-10-22). Retrieved on 2020-04-24.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Plan Your Visit. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  8. ↑ Leather Archives & Museum Inc.. Internal Revenue Service.
  9. ↑ Research (in en-us). Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2024-01-01.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 VanLammeren, Jakob; Perez, Jose Santiago, eds. (2016). Leather Archives & Museum: 25 Years, 1991-2016. Chicago, Illinois: Leather Archives & Museum. ISBN 9780692806562.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Cover Story, GLBTQ, February 5, 2009 (in en-US). Chicago Reader (2009-02-05). Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  12. ↑ Bannon, Race (2017-07-09). A Hero Leaves Us :: Leather Folk on the Passing of Chuck Renslow. Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved on 2024-06-15.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Building the Future of LA&M. Leather Archives & Museum. Network for Good. Retrieved on 2024-05-31.
  14. ↑ O'Matz, Megan (1999-10-25). Congregation Ends 10 Years of Wandering. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2022-12-27.
  15. ↑ Leather Archives & Museum. Smithsonian (1970-01-01). Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved on 2019-12-18.
  16. ↑ Steve Lenius (2000-07-28). Tony DeBlase, 1942-2000. Leather Life. Retrieved on 2020-04-28.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 #508: The Evidence of Leather.
  18. ↑ "GLBT ALMS 2006 Conference Program". GLBT ALMS 2006 Conference Program. 2006.
  19. ↑ Leather Archives & Museum Announcement. Twitter (2009-05-25). Retrieved on 2009-09-04.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lenius, Steve (2021-01-14). Leather Life: Leather Archives & Museum to Celebrate 30th Anniversary (in en-US). Lavender Magazine. Retrieved on 2024-01-13.
  21. ↑ "Robert W. Davolt". San Francisco Chronicle. 3 July 2005. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  22. ↑ Galloway, A. (2009). "Grants and Acquisitions". College & Research Libraries News. 70: 62. doi:10.5860/crln.70.1.8121.
  23. ↑ Leather Archives & Museum celebrates 25 years with free weekend. Windy City Times (2016-08-16). Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  24. ↑ The Leather Pride Flag. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2019-12-05.
  25. ↑ Drawing by Matt Charles Kerbs - Artwork (2002082401). Leather Archives & Museum Collections Database. Retrieved on 2024-06-16.
  26. ↑ Blond Portrait, Olaf Odegaard original art - Artwork (2006066101). Leather Archives & Museum Collections Database. Retrieved on 2024-06-16.
  27. ↑ Baim, Tracy; Keehnen, Owen (2011). Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow. Prairie Avenue Productions. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-46109602-3.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Goldsborough, Bob (2017-06-30). "Chuck Renslow, Chicago gay community icon and International Mr. Leather contest founder, dies at 87". Chicago Tribune.
  29. ↑ Bedwell, Michael (October 7, 2019). Remembering transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen. LGBTQ Nation.
  30. ↑ Kris: The Physique Photography of Chuck Renslow. Windy City Times (2008-05-21). Retrieved on 2020-04-28.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 Harrity, Christopher (2016-09-15). Deep in the Leather Archives (Photos) (in en). Advocate. Retrieved on 2024-06-02.
  32. ↑ Simonette, Matt (2019-07-31). Leather Archives acquires Dureau photo (in en-US). Windy City Times. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  33. ↑ Mick O’Shea (3 August 2018). The Sex Pistols Invade America: The Fateful U.S. Tour, January 1978. McFarland. pp. 66–. ISBN 978-1-4766-3184-4.
  34. ↑ Evans, Hew (2022-01-24). A Dominating Narrative: The Mineshaft and BDSM Culture in the Meatpacking District (in en-US). Village Preservation. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  35. ↑ Hammond, Gretchen Rachel (2015-01-28). ELECTIONS 2015: 39TH WARD Gay aldermanic candidate runs as 'anti-Emanuel' (in en-US). Windy City Times. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  36. ↑ Oral History Exhibit (in en-us). Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2022-12-27.
  37. ↑ Caporale, Micco (2020-06-24). Chicago’s gay grandaddy of tattooing (in en-US). Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  38. ↑ Clauss, Hunter (2009-11-19). A Kink in the Campaign (in en-US). Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  39. ↑ Rubin, Gayle. Leather Archives and Museum. Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2024-01-13.
  40. ↑ Rhodes, Adam M. (2020-10-29). Gay bathhouses were barely surviving. And then came COVID-19. (in en-US). Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2023-12-02.
  41. ↑ Flanagan, Michael (2019-09-25). Finding Fe-Be's - Rediscovering the history of an iconic bar. Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved on 2024-06-02.
  42. ↑ Tracy Baim; Owen Keehnen (2011). Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow. Obama and the Gays. pp. 35–. ISBN 978-1-4610-9602-3.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Exhibitions. Leather Archives & Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved on 2020-04-24.
  44. ↑ Pop-Up Exhibit on 3/14 at Drag History Movie Night at the Leather Archives. Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  45. ↑ McClelland, Edward Robert (2023-10-04). A Different Type of Worship at the Leather Museum (in en-US). Chicago Magazine. Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  46. ↑ The Etienne Auditorium - Leather Archives & Museum. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2020-04-24.
  47. ↑ Leather Archives & Museum announces 2024 Fetish Film Forum (in en-US). Windy City Times (2024-01-27). Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  48. ↑ Bradford, John (2005). Wells, Ken (ed.). "Leather Archives" (PDF). GLBTRT Newsletter. 17 (3). Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Round Table of the American Library Association: 3.
  49. ↑ Malooley, Jake (2014-05-19). Zoom in: Rogers Park (in en-US). Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2024-06-13.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Leather Archives Gift Shop (in en). The Gift Shop of the Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2024-06-17.
  51. ↑ Resolution R2016-704 -- Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago, Illinois -- Regular Meeting -- Wednesday, September 14, 2016. City of Chicago, Office of the City Clerk. Retrieved on September 18, 2023.
  52. ↑ Simonette (2017-11-09). Hall of Fame induction strikes joyous notes. Windy City Times. Retrieved on 2019-12-28.
  53. ↑ 🖉Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients - The Leather Journal. www.theleatherjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved on 2020-12-20.
  54. ↑ International Deaf Leather | AWARDS (July 4, 2021).
  55. ↑ > Inductees. Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2019-12-28.
  56. ↑ Staff and Board. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2019-12-29.
  57. ↑ President's Award. Leather Archives & Museum (1987-03-21). Retrieved on 2019-12-29.
  58. ↑ view a dia. www.museum.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved on 2020-12-20.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients - The Leather Journal. www.theleatherjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved on 2020-12-20.
  60. ↑ List of winners - Living In Leather. livinginleather.net.
  61. ↑ List of winners. NLA International (2019-03-14). Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved on 2020-05-08.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 A Room of Her Own. Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2020-04-24.
  63. ↑ Excavating Experiences (in en-US). Leather Archives & Museum. Retrieved on 2024-06-12.
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 Lenius, Steve (2021-08-26). Leather Life: LA&M Exhibits - Leather’s Golden Era and Art of Rex (in en-US). Lavender Magazine. Retrieved on 2024-04-22.
  65. ↑ LePique, Annette (2024-01-08). When Etienne Grew Wings: A Review of “Sparks in a Dark Room” at the Leather Archives & Museum (in en-US). Newcity Art. Retrieved on 2024-06-02.

External links[edit | edit source]

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