George Chauncey papers, circa 1968-2000s

Collection context

Creator:
Chauncey, George
Extent:
30 Linear Feet 20 record storage cartons, 8 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize flat box, and 1 tube box
Language:
English .
Scope and content:

The George Chauncey papers include materials documenting Chauncey's research and activism related to LGBTQ+ history and activism. The collection reflects Chauncey's teaching, public speaking, and writing, including notes and other files related to his groundbreaking book, Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940. The collection also includes all the proposals submitted for a conference Chauncey organized in 2000, The Future of the Queer Past, (ultimately 200 papers, 50 panels, people from a dozen countries, funding from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations), which provides a fascinating snapshot of the LGBTQ+ history field as it was just beginning to take off.

The collection also includes materials from American political campaigns and anti-Vietnam War activism from the 1960s and 1970s, Chauncey's work as an expert witness in court cases related to LGBTQ+ rights in the 1990s and 2000s, material from Chauncey's undergraduate and graduate student years at Yale (circa 1975-1989), and professional papers mostly from Chauncey's years as a professor of history at the University of Chicago (1991-2006).

Biographical / historical:

Professor George Chauncey (1954-) is a pioneer in queer studies: his work has been widely taught and also widely read beyond the academy. In his groundbreaking study, Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940, he described a gay world that was much more extensive, vibrant, and visible than scholars had believed existed and analyzed the complex sexual cultures of Black, immigrant, and white working-class and middle-class neighborhoods.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Material is unprocessed. A box list is available upon request. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Assessed February-March 2023. Boxes 1-5, 7-9, 11-14, 16-24, and 26-29 can be made available without further intervention.

2 folders from Box 9, 4 folders from Box 12, and 1 folder from Box 22 are closed to researchers until after cleaning to remove mold.

Box 15 is missing.

Boxes 25 and 30 are closed to researchers at least until the collection is fully processed.

Boxes 6 and 10 contain audiocassettes. All original copies of audio / moving image media are closed until reformatting.

Terms of access:

Single reproductions may be made for research purposes. It is the responsibility of the user to secure permission for publication or use from the appropriate copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); George Chauncey Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu