TITLE | DESCRIPTION | DATE CREATED | IS FORMAT OF |
---|---|---|---|
Hobby Directory, December 1946 | Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
Hobby Directory, July 1946 | The July 1946 issue of Hobby Directory.
Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
Hobby Directory, September 1946 | The September 1946 issue of Hobby Directory.
Hobby Directory (1946-circa 1952) was a small publication in which male hobbyists could publish personal ads and meet friends who shared their interests. The magazine quickly acquired a large gay male readership, and gay men used their ads to connect with one another. The men's descriptions of their hobbies -- for example, ballet, interior decorating, or collecting photographs of weightlifters -- were designed to signal that they were gay, as well as genuinely describing themselves to romantic prospects.
Hobby Directory was a fairly mainstream publication which was sold in craft stores and advertised in the magazines Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Its reasons for ceasing publication are unknown, but historians have suggested that it may have fallen victim to enforcement of the Comstock Laws, which forbade sending "obscene" materials through the mail. |
1946 | |
AIDS in San Francisco (1 of 4) | A discussion about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco and the villainization of gay men's sexuality by mainstream media. Topics touched on include politicians like Dianne Feinstein using the AIDS crisis as an excuse to close local bathhouses, the push for safer sex conversations, and the rising wave of pro-celibacy political platforms. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1984-06-05 | |
AIDS in San Francisco (2 of 4) | A discussion about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco and the general public's perceptions about bathhouses and gay sex. Topics also include myths about who is at risk for exposure to AIDS and the slow development of medical research about the disease. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1984-06-05 | |
AIDS in San Francisco (3 of 4) | A discussion about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco and changing attitudes about sexuality and monogamy both within and outside of gay communities. Topics also include differences between gay men's and gay women's cultures. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1984-06-05 | |
AIDS in San Francisco (4 of 4) | A discussion about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco and the public perception of prostitution and sexuality. This material was digitized through the generous support of Larry Brenner and Angelo Figone. |
1984-06-05 |