Out at the Library

Out at the Library montage image featuring Mary Walker, Harry Hay, Pat Parker and Barbara Grier

Boots worn by Dr. Mary Walker
Boots worn by Dr. Mary Walker

Boots worn by Dr. Mary WalkerOut at the Library celebrated the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Hormel Center by highlighting its collection and offering a rare look into what an archives is and how it ensures the legacy of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.  From boots worn by cross-dressing Civil War surgeon Dr. Mary Walker to classic LGBT pulp paperbacks to the 1978 appointment book of assassinated City Supervisor Harvey Milk, the objects and stories offer compelling views of remarkable and ordinary lives. In conjunction with the exhibition Out at the Library: Celebrating the James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, the San Francisco Public Library published a full-color catalogue and an online component. The original exhibition was installed from over four months in 2005 in three separate venues, and a panel version, which traveled to libraries, community centers and other venues beginning in 2006, is being exhibited at SFPL for the first time in many years.