Papers and correspondence of activist and news reporter Jackie Forster (née Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie; 6 November 1926 – 10 October 1998). Including autograph, typescript, printed and photocopied material.
The archive contains papers relating the Forster’s literary and acting career, including draft, proof and printed materials of her works; personal and business correspondence, acting career related materials, such as scripts and notes, drafts of speeches and debates, annotated drafts, press cutting of Forsters articles and of issues related to the gay and lesbian community in the media and a range of personal papers detailing Forsters activist work on various projects throughout her life. The archive also contains personal correspondence and materials relating to Forster’s family members, photographs of Forster throughout her life and a collection of books signed and dedicated to her.
Papers and correspondence of Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group (CLCLBLG), a lesbian feminist collective and physical space (c.1982-1995). Includes autograph, typescript, printed and photocopied material.
The archive includes: personal and business correspondence; CLCBLG administrative records including annual reports, diaries, meeting minutes and agendas, employee information packs, policy and procedural documents, and related material; CLCBLG Management Committee administrative records, including meeting minutes; CLCBLG newsletters; CLCBLG publicity material including flyers, posters and leaflets; press cuttings covering CLCBLG’s development, contemporary lesbian and gay issues, and related issues and communities; newsletters and bulletins of various other women’s, feminist, LGBTQ+, community and/or voluntary organisations; feminist and/or LGBTQ+ periodicals and journals; papers, programmes, flyers and other material relating to various women’s and/or lesbian feminist conferences; literature, flyers and circular correspondence relating to global solidarity campaigns with women in the Global South (e.g., South Africa, Namibia, Chile, indigenous Australian communities, Peru, India, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and elsewhere); administrative records of Camden Council Women’s Committee including meeting minutes; administrative records of Camden Council Lesbian and Gay Unit including meeting minutes; administrative records of A Woman’s Place including meeting minutes and correspondence; literature relating to women’s health and wellbeing, including resource guides and reports; audio cassettes; VHS tapes; material relating to various feminist collectives and women’s groups, including briefings, journals, bulletins, information sheets, legal guidance; academic journal articles and longform journalism; administrative records of London Women’s Centre at Wesley House, 4 Wild Court including meeting minutes, correspondence relating to events and premises, and material relating to groups based at the Centre.
The collection also contains a sizeable photographic archive including original photographs, slides, prints, photocopied and printed images, many of which appear to have originated with – or been featured in – Outwrite women’s newspaper. Many of these photographs document CLCBLG’s life and its members, while others document local, national and international protests, struggles and activist campaigns.
Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group
Series contains material relating to A Woman's Place (AWP), a feminist collective and women's resource centre based at the Greater London Council-owned Hungerford House, Victoria Embankment, London. AWP was active from the early 1970s to around 1986, when the GLC (who funded their activities) was abolished by Margaret Thatcher's administration; during its lifespan, AWP was an invaluable information and resource hub for women.
Series includes meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence, research reports, flyers and posters for feminist and lesbian feminist events, questionnaires, health literature, and more. File 4/3 Related feminist and women's material includes a sizeable collection of material relating to local, national and international women's campaigns, including newsletters and health literature.
A Woman's PlaceZines and publications by regional and national women’s liberation groups (CLCBLG office copies).
Includes: ‘Living as Women: Notting Hill Women’s Paper’ zine (n.d. [c.1970s]); ‘Women Together’ feminist zine (n.d. [c.1970s]); ‘Down Tools!’ zine by Colchester Women’s Liberation (n.d. [c.1970s]); ‘At Last… It’s the Libertarian Women’s Network’ bulletin (n.d. [c.1972]); ‘Women Come Together… It’s what your right arm’s for…’ zine by Swansea Women’s Liberation Group (n.d. [c.1970s]); Libertarian Women’s Network Newssheets (no. 11 & 14 [c.1972]; Fellowship of Reconciliation (pacifist religious collective) newsletter (n.d. [c.1970s]); People’s Food Co-op (Lincoln Estate, Bow) bulletin (n.d. [c.1970s]): ‘The Ancient Religion of the Great Cosmic Mother of All’ zine by Monica Sjoo (Jun 1976).
Various LGBTQ and feminist publications, including: Paper Gai (Spanish-language LGBT+ magazine from Valencia; May 1994); ONE/IGLA bulletin (newsletter of ONE Institute/International Gay and Lesbian Archive; Spring 1995); First Things First: Books for Women catalogue (1975/76); short story called ‘It need Never have Happened’ (n.d.); the Fawcett Library newsletter (Jan 1995); ‘Meeting the Educational Needs of our Children’, 2nd African Books Festival brochure (Nov 1987); Images of Women newsletter (n.d. [c.1970s]); Gay Concern newsletter (n.d. [c.1970s]); Roman Catholic Feminist newsletter (Oct 1979); London Irish Women’s Centre information pack (n.d.); and notes regarding men on premises [at A Woman's Place or London Women's Centre?; n.d.].
Also contains conference papers from British Sociological Association Conference, 5-8 April 1982: ‘Gender marking in teachers’ assessments’ by Jane French, University of Manchester; ‘National Reproduction: Sexism, Racism & the State’ by Nira Yuval Davis, Thames Polytechnic; ‘Women and Caring: Skills, Tasks and Taboos’ by Clare Ungerson, University of Kent; ‘Purification or Social Control? Ideologies of Reproduction and the Churching of Women after Childbirth by Peter Rushton, Sunderland Polytechnic; ‘Theories of Sexuality in Medical Practice: A Working Paper’ by Ong Bie Mo and Jane Rosser; ‘The Sexual Harassment of Working Women’ by Stephen J. Morewitz, University of Chicago; ‘The Regulation of Fertility – Some Social and Historical Questions’ by Caroline Love; ‘Crowd Control at English Football Matches: Some Issues of Gender’ by Jerry M. Lewis, Kent State University; ‘Food as an Indicator of Social Relations’ by Marion Kerr and Nickie Charles; ‘Community Study of Violence to Women’ by Jane Hanmer and Sheila Saunders (University of Bradford), ‘Social Gender and linguistic Gender: Masculine and Feminine in Language and Society’ by Jean Crocker, University of Newcastle; ‘Hide and Clique: Structural Aspects in Disclosure of a Discreditable Identity’ by Peter M. Davies, University College Cardiff; ‘Towards a Sociology of Domestic Economy’ by Anne Goldthorpe and Judy Worsnop; ‘The Professions and the Semi-Professions: The Control of Emotions and the Construction of Masculinity’ by Jeff Hearn, University of Bradford; ‘Illness, Crime and the ‘Female Role’: Problems in the Analysis of Sex and Gender’ by Anne Edwards Hiller, Monash University.
Women’s health publications, essays, and conference materials, with a focus on Black and Scottish women’s healthcare.
Includes: Perceived Health Needs of Black and Ethnic Minority Women report (Nov 1994); Black & Ethnic Minority Women’s Health Sub Group research report (1996); Black and Ethnic Minority Women’s Health Conference programmes (Glasgow, 1995); report on menstrual extraction by Lorraine Rothman (n.d.); 14th annual National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference programme (Jul 1992); Feminist Women’s Health Centre bulletins (c.1971-1977). Some records bear Glasgow Lesbian Line stickers.
Artistic and creative material including creative writing publications, resource guides, catalogues, fanzines, and further women’s publications.
Includes: rainbow snake poetry volume by the Center for Women’s Studies and Services (1971); Shocking Pink! magazine (1992); ‘Sparkles: Poems, Stories and Articles by the women of GEMMA’ x 2 (n.d.); The Women’s Press book catalogue (Aug 1993-Jan 1994); Feminists Against Sexual Terror (FAST; Sept 1983); Outwrite magazine (issue 47; 1986); transcript of a conversation between Lisa (age 11), Susan (her mother, a lesbian) and other lesbians re Lisa’s experience as a child of a lesbian mother (Mar 1977); Outwrite magazine (issue 578; May 1987); Revolutionary Radical Feminist newsletter 16 (1986); Powerful Images: A Women’s Guide to Audiovisual Resources by Isis International (1986).
Folder of publications, journal articles and literature relating to Black and Asian diaspora feminism and Black lesbian feminism.
Includes: leaflet for ‘In Celebration of Audre Lorde’ fundraiser for Azania (n.d.); Black Women & Representation programme (Apr-May 1984); photocopy of ‘Other Voices, Other Moods’ by Alice Walker for Ms magazine (Feb 1979); June Jordan biography from City Limits (16 Mar 1989); Weekend Guardian articles on poverty and homosexuality in South Africa (12-13 May 1990); ‘Call and Response’ by Maud Sulter, from Feminist Art News 2.8 (n.d.); photocopy of extract of The Ladder: A Lesbian Review (Jun 1966); Camden Black Sisters herstory (n.d. [c.1980s]); Lesbian Archive & Information Centre flyer and [oral history?] questionnaire (n.d.); London Feminist History Group flyer (n.d.); circular letter and info from Sakhi Collective, Delhi (1994); Mukti and Connexions articles on Asian lesbians (1982 & 1985); transcript of Linda King’s interview with Melina Young (n.d.); circular from International Lesbian and Gay People of Colour Conference (ILGPOCC) Planning Group (n.d.); meeting minutes of Black Lesbian and Gay Support Group (17 Nov 1989); homophobic letter from Pan African Congress Movement (PACM) to Hackney Black Women’s Group (20 Mar 1990); Lesbian History Group summer programme (1990); Lesbian Information Service index of lesbian and women’s orgs (Jun 1988); photocopy of Joan Nestle’s interview with Mabel Hampton from Sinister Wisdom (Summer 1979); ‘Whitney Weeps for Me’ article from News of the World (8 May 1988); Linda King’s interview with Louisa John-Baptiste (n.d.); photocopy of ‘Lesbian Mothers Conference: A Black Lesbian View’ by Angela (n.d.); photocopy of review of Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider [by Barbara Christian?], from Black Feminist Criticism: Perspectives on Black Women Writers (1986); photocopy of National Coalition of Black Gays solidarity message to NGO Forum ’85 (1985); photocopied biographical articles/reference files on Angelina Weld Grimké, Ma Rainey, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Edmonia Lewis, Bessie Smith, Gladys Bentley; photocopy of ‘No More Buried Lives: The Theme of Lesbianism in Audre Lorde’s Zami, Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place, Ntozake Shange’s Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple’ [by Barbara Christian?], from Black Feminist Criticism: Perspectives on Black Women Writers (1986); photocopy of Jackie Kay’s interview with Maya Angelou, from Marxism Today (Sept 1987); photocopy of ‘Early Stars and Shows’ from Black Dance by Edward Thorpe (1989); photocopy of ‘Lesbian Daughter’ by Cheryl West, from SAGE 4.2 (1987); biographical article on Rosa Guy, from the Sunday Observer (8 Nov 1987); photocopy of ‘My Experience as a Black Lesbian Teacher’ article (n.d.); photocopy of ‘I Never Thought I’d be a Lesbian Until…’ by Sharon Smith (n.d.); photocopied Lesbian Archive & Information Centre ‘Black Lesbian Only Open Day’ (c.1990); review of Wild Women in the Whirlwind from New Statesman (n.d.); photocopy of ‘From the inside Looking In: A Reappraisal of Heart of the Race’ by Sisters in Study, from Realities of Time (n.d.); photocopy of ‘“I Dream a World”’ by Eleanor J. Bader, from On the Issues 14 (1990); Alan Wall’s interview with gay disco artist Sylvester, from Gay News 154 (Oct 1978); excerpt of early lesbian poetry from ‘Sapphic Song’ (n.d.).
Also includes two indexes for Black lesbian reference material and file contents, [probably from Lesbian Archive & Information Centre].
Material relating to A Woman’s Place (AWP) collective [not related to Woman’s Place UK]. Includes meeting agendas and minutes, incoming and outgoing correspondence, research questionnaires (all 1978-1979). Also includes a flyer for an all-women’s cruise as a benefit for Positively Women and Sheba feminist publisher [c.1980s?].
A Woman's PlaceFolder of material relating to Black lesbians and lesbians of colour, much of it directly related to and/or created by ONYX.
Includes: London Friend annual review 1992; bundle of ONYX documents, including flyers, an information leaflet and meeting minutes (1990); bundle of incoming & outgoing correspondence for ONYX, including correspondence re using the meeting space in 54-56 Phoenix Road (mid-1991) and correspondents including CLCBLG, London Friend, Microsyster, and others. Also contains brochure for counselling training course, grant application guidance leaflet for voluntary organisations, and related material.
ONYX: The social and discussion group for Black lesbians and lesbians of colour