THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

I was told that coats and bags are not permitted inside, but there are lockers with keys in the room to my left. This is the uniforms room. Lockers line the wall behind the door. I choose one with a Marines sticker and store my gear. There are sliding closet doors to my right. Inside hang dozens of uniforms which have been the stuff of fantasy and fetish for years. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines—I asked for the experience and I got it. My tour of The Leather Archives and Museum had begun.

The Leather Archives and Museum has been serving and preserving the fetish community since 1991, when it was formed by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase. At its inception, Renslow's primary motivation was to store, maintain and share with the public the extensive artwork of his late lover, Etienne ( Domingo Orejudos ) , which was then valued at over one million dollars. At the time, Renslow also donated boxes of memorabilia from his years in the leather community—running the famous Kris Studios that published physique photographs in the 1950s; as owner of the world-renowned Gold Coast leather bar as well as other businesses; and as the originator of the International Mr. Leather contest. His contribution proved a dynamic start to an ever expanding collection.

In 1991, The Leather Archives and Museum was officially incorporated in the state of Illinois and remains to this day the only institution in the United States dedicated to '...the compilation, preservation and maintenance of leather lifestyle and related lifestyles ( including but not limited to the gay and lesbian community ) , history, archives, and memorabilia for historical, educational, and research purposes.'

Moving from the uniforms room, I crossed the lobby into the 164-seat Etienne Auditorium. Walking inside, I was immediately taken by the 20 or so stunning murals that adorn the walls. Many of these large, lush, colorful and—did I mention sexy?—murals once hung in the legendary Gold Coast. I read the curator's note in The Exhibit Guide: 'The murals painted in the original Gold Coast were painted directly on the walls. When they changed locations the artist had to paint over the erotic masterpieces with plain black paint. Ouch! At the next location, Dom painted the murals on wooden planks that could ( and were ) taken down when the bar moved again.' It's fitting that these amazing art pieces are finally hung and protected in a museum. I assumed the erotic content had made them too controversial for mainstream galleries and venues. Maybe that lack of acceptance is changing? One of Etienne's pieces is currently on loan to The Chicago Historical Society.

The auditorium seats are handsome and very comfortable. ( Yes, I had to sit and try one out. ) On the side of each end seat is a molded adornment. This space is used for lectures and for films like the museum's weekly Saturday movie shorts or The Kinky Film Festival, which the LA&M hosted ( in conjunction with CineKink ) in late 2007. However, this auditorium was also donated to Chicago leather and LGBT organizations for meetings and special presentations, like the recent Equality Illinois Education Project and Leather Archives and Museum seminar on the Illinois civil-unions bill. The auditorium has even been the site of a couple weddings, including the union of Leather Archives and Museum Executive Director Rick Storer and Operations Manager Jeff Storer.

From the auditorium, I entered The John Larsen Gallery. Here are wall mountings dedicated to the 30-year-old International Mr. Leather contest as well as The International Ms. Leather ( IMsL ) , which has been around since 1987. This area also houses one of the most controversial pieces in the museum, a parody of da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' entitled 'The Last Supper in a Gay Leather Bar With Judas Giving Christ the Finger.' A note from MCC ( Metropolitan Community Churches ) founder Rev. Troy Perry accompanies the piece by artist Steven Brown, who died in 1992, explaining Brown's initial struggle with reconciling his faith with his sexuality. I am not one of those offended by the piece. As a gay boy raised Catholic, I imagine I felt something very similar at times, though I lacked the artistic talent to express it. To the side of this is another parodied classic, a wonderful 'Leather David' statue.

On my left was the entrance to the Teri Rose Memorial Library, a 600-square-foot non-lending research library with an extensive collection of books and periodicals on all things leather and fetish—no food, drinks or pens, please! Large oak tables and easy chairs were situated about the room, giving it a homey and simultaneously scholarly feel. If smoking were allowed, this would be the place for a cigar. Looking around I was again taken by the perfect order of things. There was even a place to return books and periodicals after browsing lest they be reshelved incorrectly. In the stately shelving units along the perimeter of the room are over 5,000 books, covering subjects from erotica to academic studies and from novels to coffee table books. The periodicals collection boast some of the usual suspects, like Drummer, Bound & Gagged and The Leather Journal, as well as many lesser-known and rarer magazines such as One, Dungeoneer, Steam, The Mattachine Review, Der Kries, etc. In total, there are over 11,000 magazines and 100 journals in the collection.

Already, it was apparent that The Leather Archives and Museum wasn't quite what I expected. Though some of the content was decidedly raunchy, I was overwhelmed by the almost reverent atmosphere. Make no mistake: There was plenty of material here to get your engine started. After all, this is about the socialization and celebration of alternative sex. However, there was clearly something more going on. It was hard not to feel the presence of ghosts and recognize that this was not just a sex museum—it was a memorial and a tribute.

Preserving the past became so important with the advent of the HIV crisis. 'This museum was born from AIDS,' said a longtime board member, aptly named Bear Man.

Board member Jon Krongaard elaborated: '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 thirtysomethings 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.'

However, as all those I talked to were quick to point out, this is not merely a museum of gay male history. This is a pansexual organization open to fetish and leather interests and lives of all genders and sexual orientations, male and female, gay and straight and all territories in between.

Leather Archives Executive Director Rick Storer explained that ' [ o ] ur collections are weighed toward gay male artifacts and resources, but our Board and staff continue to examine ways to change this.'

According to Krongaard, 'We are building bridges into the women, hetero and European communities to be more inclusive of everything leather and fetish as defined by our charter. There is no change in our prime directive, but an expansion of the playing field.'

Part of outreach and global appeal in the cyber age includes the museum's informative Web site and online exhibits. These feature a dozen or so oral histories, including museum co-founder Tony DeBlase, tattooing pioneer Cliff Raven and leather legend Larry Townsend. The site also includes online exhibits covering International Mr. Leather, Kris Studios, Colors of the Cycle, art and photography exhibits, and even What Kinky People Are Reading.

Board member Mindy Chateauvert added, 'We are actively looking for more leather materials about women; this includes doing outreach with other archives. We are also working with academics around the country. Academic outreach to various GLBT scholars is a way for the people of academia doing research to know we are here. The Leather Archives and Museum is also forming a speakers bureau within the leather community.'

Chateauvert went on to explain the importance of the museum for women: 'The museum has a really good but not fully recognized collection of materials, artifacts and written matter that could be used to understand what being a member of an alternative sexual community means for women. There are many layers of many timelines of leather history rather than simply the gay male community. In the 1980s, the feminist movement launched the sex wars and the movement became anti-sex, anti-pornography and anti-leather. Women, gay and straight, often had to hide their sexual expression so it is important to document the women who fought that. If coming out was tough, coming out as leather was even more difficult, especially within the lesbian community. There was a policing going on and being a leather lesbian was not politically correct. As a result much of this was hidden away. It is a goal of the Leather Archives and Museum to bring this leather and fetish feminism to light.'

Through 1995, the museum existed as little more than an expanding collection, appearing primarily as an exhibit at the International Mr. Leather contests. In 1996, a storefront was opened as the museum at 5007 N. Clark, but due to the volume of donations the archives quickly outgrew the space. Since 1999, The Leather Archives and Museum has been located at 6418 N. Greenview in Chicago. The museum organized further, canvassed for funds and, as a result of generous donations from the leather community, made a $225,000 balloon payment in August 2004 to pay off the mortgage on the 10,000-square-foot, two-story building.

Many expressed awe at how the museum has grown and evolved in that short period of time. Bear Man explained how exciting it has been to see the museum go from the storefront on Clark to this, he says gesturing to the facade of the building. 'Now we have three full-time staff people and the annual budget has gone from 10,000 to 200,000.' He was also quick to explain that this is mostly due to grassroots funding: 'This is primarily from $50 and $100 donations at a time and not through grants or government support.'

It's hardly surprising that as awareness of the Leather Archives and Museum rises, so does membership. According to Rick Storer, the museum has approximately 600 current members and receives an average number of 2,500 visitors per year, with those numbers growing rapidly as it is 'increasingly a tourist destination for kinky folks and non-kinky folks alike.'

Located in Rogers Park just north of Devon Avenue, I asked Storer's husband, Jeff, if there have ever been any problems with the neighbors. He replied with a simple 'no' before adding that since the building across the street went condo every once and a while people will wander across the street and ring the bell, 'but only because they are curious about the building'. He saed he ushers them into the lobby and explains the purpose of the museum. He says the usual response is 'Oh', 'That's cool' or 'I'll have to drop by sometime.' Jeff said that everyone has been very nice. The local Rogers Park paper even did a nice piece on the newest addition to the neighborhood when the museum first opened.

Moving from the library, I descended a stairwell with walls covered by banners—The Grauman Gallery. Here were hung large swaths of history from parades and marches—emblems, flags and woven pronouncements of pride and presence. There was a banner from The Stonewall 25 Leather Contingent, a leather Names Project quilt panel and even a banner from The Blue Max Cycle Club.

At the bottom of the stairs is the Leather Bar exhibit. Initially, I was given a slight start by a mannequin ( who I later discovered is named Randy ) in full leather sitting on a bar stool, nursing his beer. He is posed in the midst of a leather bar diorama complete with matchbooks and beer bottles. To the left were the Gold Coast stocks primed for a good public flogging. Bar memorabilia adorned the dark walls—including my personal favorite, the original posting of dress code and entrance regulations for the notorious Mineshaft in New York.

To the left of the exhibit was the 1,425 archival storage space. This is typically off-limits to the public, but I guess my press credentials carried some weight. Jeff ushered me inside and quickly entered a security code. The climate-controlled room was filled with multiple shelving units of neatly stored boxes. These were the unpublished papers of activists, fetishists, authors and artists as well as minutes and records from fetish organizations worldwide such as The National Leather Association, International Mr. Leather and even The Mineshaft. All the material had been organized, catalogued, identified, and referenced. I ask Jeff what's done with the non-collectible items or the overstock. He says if it can't be used much of the surplus is donated to other collections such as Gerber Hart Library and some ends up going to The Brown Elephant.

When asked about the organization's extensive donations, Rick Storer explained, 'The Leather Archives and Museum is a community organization, so we're basically open to preserving whatever the leather and fetish community thinks is worth saving. The museum collection regularly sees donations of erotic artwork, historical artifacts including patches and pins from defunct leather and fetish organizations, oral history interviews with 'old timers' and even contemporary artifacts including titleholder sashes, BDSM event T-shirts and posters. Our library collection grows through donations of books ( both community based and academic/research ) , periodicals, and films. Our films collection includes documentary and pornographic titles. New items are added to the collection nearly every single day.'

I read in the literature this is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) charitable organization, so all donations are tax-deductible.

Looking around the filled expanse of the archives storage room, I recallrf something Krongaard said when discussing the 6418 N. Greenview building: 'Ultimately, we are going to grow out of that. My guess is within five years.' He added that some weeks the museum has been getting 200-250 pounds of stuff donated.

Next, I proceeded through heavy double doors to The Main Gallery. A lot of memorabilia is contained within this expansive room. Artwork of all sorts adorn the walls and glass cases as well as several accordion dividers. There's artwork by Tom of Finland, Joseph Bean, Robert Mapplethorpe, Steve Masters, Lochai, Kenneth Anger, Wes Grey Wolf, Chuck Arnett, Adam Kozik, Jacki Randall, Molly Devon, The Hun, Ray Castro and many others. I opened a bound photo album of Polaroids from the collection of Sailor Sid, a pioneer in body modification. I flipped through a few pages of piercings and pinnings, and when I cringed twice in a row I decided it was a little too intense for my taste.

Directly ahead are large elegant notebooks under the heading of Club Colors. These are patches, logos or colors worn on the back of leather vests from hundreds of gay and lesbian motorcycle clubs, leather clubs and sex clubs. There are display cases of various S&M tools and gear and even some of the tattooing memorabilia of Cliff Raven.

One display case contains an array of imposing materials initially used by slaveholders to keep their slaves in line. This display has been a source of controversy as well. Apparently, the contents prompted the resignation of one volunteer. I wonder about the ethical nature of some fetish gear and toys. It also made me wonder if there were SS uniforms in the uniform room. It's a complex and sensitive issue. Policing desire between consenting adults is a slippery slope, especially for gays and lesbians. So many in this world would declare this entire museum ( and all LGBT behavior ) as sick, perverse and, ultimately, criminal.

On the wall above the case is a leather time line begun by museum co-founder Tony DeBlase. The wall-hanging chronicles various important dates in leather and fetish history, from 1900 B.C. and the fall of Babel through Caligula, Saint Sebastian ( patron saint of S&M ) and the scandalous reign of Sixtus IV—the 14th-century pope who entertained himself by having muscular young men strip and fight to the death, with the winner becoming his bed partner. There were the Marquis de Sade, of course; King Henri III of France, who delighted in flogging the backs of his penitents; and T.E. Lawrence ( a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia ) , with his love of flogging. Some of the inhabitants along this timeline surprise me—Benjamin Franklin? Hmm. Just what was he up to with that discovery of electricity? The timeline continues into the modern era with such hallmarks as the 1951 opening of the first leather bar in New York City, the 1962 'invention' of fisting, the 1972 publication of Larry Townsend's The Leatherman's Handbook—the first nonfiction book about the gay male leather lifestyle and the 1989 design of the leather pride flag. Having a visual representation of this progression is fascinating.

The main gallery even has a display case of silly BDSM and kink in popular culture. This includes some comic books with superheroes in compromising positions, a campy postcard of a leathered-up Hillary flogging Bill and even Garbage Pail Kids bondage collector cards ( huh? ) . Yes, it's true.

Through a doorway on the left side of the gallery room is what Jeff told me is the former boiler room, which now has been converted into one of the most popular exhibits in the museum, the dungeon. The walls are rough and black. There's a sling in the corner where the boiler once stood. In the center of the room is a rack, and along the wall are display cases filled with an assortment of restraints, toys, and gear. A couple more mannequins would be good here. Maybe Randy has a friend?

Next is one of my favorite parts of the museum, The Oral History Lounge. The Leather Archives and Museum has recorded dozens of life narratives. In some ways this gallery display struck me as the most crucial resource. These are the voices of those who lived the lives, went to the places, attended the events and knew the people. Their memories and experiences were oftentimes not intensely documented, nor did they necessarily make headlines, but they are key in telling the bigger story. These people are the history. The things they can tell us and the shading they give an event or place are perhaps the most precious resource of all and certainly one of the most fragile. The Leather Archives and Museum is extremely active in acquiring oral histories and even distributes a how-to pamphlet on tips for doing a taped oral history.

Rick Storer is also a big fan of the collection. 'Sexuality tends to be an intimate human activity. Often, there are no cameras, media, or other functions to document sexual practices in order to maintain that intimacy. Oral histories are critically important in a subculture where documentation is usually absent. These fascinating stories and interviews capture documentation and help future generations understand the attitudes and emotions of the past.'

Beyond the Oral History Lounge is the retail area which features an array of Leather Archives and Museum memorabilia—T-shirts, mugs, cigar cutters, patches, pins, posters, and even a boot paddle. There is also a wide array of International Mr. Leather materials including T-shirts, the official posters throughout the years, and several commemorative books on the contest which was in fact so much more than a contest. There are cards and postcards and even an array of books on subjects such as flogging, mummification, and water sports.

Moving to the stairs to return to the main lobby, I noticed a displayed plaque that celebrates the numerous volunteers who have given so much time and effort in making the museum what it is today. The dedication necessary to maintain all this is apparent. The average number of hours per volunteer is 250. Clearly, this is a labor of love for many.

As I headed out the front doors, I recalled board member Jon Krongaard quoting Chuck Renslow on the ultimate importance of the museum and archives: 'If you want to know where you are going, you need to know where you came from.' Thanks to The Leather Archives and Museum, those footprints behind continue to become that much clearer.

See www.leatherarchives.org .