Imperial Courts collection
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Scope and Content
Photographs and negatives, flyers, organizational correspondence, court lists, polling sheets, clippings, notes, manuscripts, annual reports, ephemera, and other material documenting activities of Imperial Courts, primarily in Southern California and San Francisco, 1973-1994. According to a short history from the collection, the Imperial Courts (or the "Imperial Court system") originated in San Francisco in 1965 as gay community social events with a camp Imperial theme; the annual main event featured the coronation of elected monarchs (a king and queen) who in turn selected a royal court. Imperial Court events soon assumed a more serious purpose (community-oriented fundraising), while retaining their irreverent festive spirit. The collection documents fundraisers and other events staged by both local and cooperating courts.
Dates
- Creation: 1959-2009
Creator
- Imperial Courts (Creator, Organization)
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Historical Note
According to a short history from the collection, the Imperial Courts (or the "Imperial Court system") originated in San Francisco in 1965 as gay community social events with a camp Imperial theme; the annual main event featured the coronation of elected monarchs (a king and queen) who then selected a royal court. Imperial Court events soon assumed a more serious purpose (community-oriented fundraising), while retaining their irreverent and festive spirit.
Extent
1.6 Linear Feet (3 boxes.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Photographs, flyers, organizational correspondence, court lists, polling sheets, clippings, notes, manuscripts, ephemera, and other material documenting activities of Imperial Courts, primarily in Southern California and San Francisco, 1959-2009. The Imperial Courts originated in San Francisco in 1965 as gay community social and fundraising events with a camp Imperial theme; the annual main event featured the coronation of elected monarchs (a king and queen) who in turn selected a royal court.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically with photographs at the end.
Acquisition Information
Date and donor(s) of materials unknown.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sophie Frank, with assistance from Marc LaRocque and David Hensley, 2017.
- Title
- Finding aid to the Imperial Courts collection, 1959-2009
- Status
- Publish Basic
- Author
- Marc LaRocque and Loni Shibuyama
- Date
- (c) 2012, 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is inEnglish.
Repository Details
Part of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California Repository
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles California 90007 United States
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu