The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is making “

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

kink KINK (101.9 FM also known as kink.fm) is a commercial radio station in Portland, Oregon. It is owned by Alpha Media and it airs an adult album alternative radio format. KINK's studios and offices are on Southwest 5th Avenue in the PacWest C ...

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...

, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement." Renslow and DeBlase founded the museum in response to the

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

crisis, during which the leather and fetish communities' history and belongings were frequently lost or intentionally suppressed and discarded. The LA&M is a leading conservator of

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

erotic art Erotic art is a broad field of the visual arts that includes any artistic work intended to evoke arousal. It usually depicts human nudity or sexual activity, and has included works in various visual mediums, including drawings, engravings, fil ...

. Its permanent collection features some of the most iconic

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

artists of the twentieth century, including most artwork by

Bill Schmeling Bill Schmeling (April 30, 1938 – September 12, 2019), better known by his pen name The Hun, was an American artist active in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, known for his explicit, homoerotic fetish illustrations and comics. ...

and many works by Dom Orejudos. The museum is open to patrons 18 years of age and over. It is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit organization and a member of the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM). Research assistance is available upon request.

History

In 1991, Dom Orejudos, Chuck Renslow's partner of 40 years, died from

AIDS-related complications The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a preventable disease. It can ...

. When Orejudos was alive, Renslow had begun selling off some of his art to pay for medical treatment, but upon his death, Renslow was determined to preserve Orejudos's art and legacy. Renslow was unable to find a museum willing to preserve Orejudos's entire body of work; although multiple museums expressed interest in his art, they wished to pick and choose specific artworks, whereas Renslow wished to keep the collection intact. After consulting his friend Tony DeBlase, Renslow set about creating a new museum to preserve Orejudos's art and the legacy of the leather community. In Renslow's words, "we were in the thick of the AIDS epidemic and with each death, families and friends were unknowingly tossing our history into dumpsters. That there was a safe place to conserve that history simply made more sense." (According to former LA&M president Jon Krongaard, some families of AIDS victims intentionally erased their leather and fetish legacies because they found it "sick or perverse.") The LA&M was incorporated in the

State of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

in 1991. It held a ribbon cutting ceremony and its first public gallery show on November 4, 1995. Its first storefront was at 5013 N Clark Street, adjacent to Man’s Country bathhouse. As envisioned, the LA&M became a sanctuary for leather and fetish history and art; the scale of donated art and artifacts quickly overwhelmed the capacity of the Clark Street storefront. Members of the leather and fetish communities played a pivotal role in establishing the museum. In addition to donating much of the collection, they provided crucial financial support. As the museum outgrew its storefront, Renslow and DeBlase identified a former synagogue on Greenview Ave ideal to house the growing collection. They could afford only $3,000 of the $60,000 down payment required to buy the Greenview Ave property, so they appealed to International Mr. Leather attendees, who raised $58,000 in donations in a single night. In 1999, the LA&M moved into the Greenview Ave building, in which it remains to this day. Over the next five years, the community raised the funds necessary to pay off the mortgage. DeBlase served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the LA&M from 1992 until 2000. In May 2006, the LA&M's executive director Rick Storer participated in a panel discussion entitled "Censorship & Sexually Explicit Materials" at the 2006 LGBTQ Archives, Libraries, Museums and Special Collections (ALMS) Conference. In May 2009, the LA&M announced that International Mr. Leather proceeds would be placed in a trust to benefit the museum. The museum also receives funding from other leather events including Cleveland Annual Leather Weekend (CLAW) and Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) in D.C. In 2016, the LA&M celebrated its 25th anniversary with a weekend-long celebration featuring

Gayle Rubin Gayle S. Rubin (born January 1, 1949) is an American cultural anthropologist, theorist and activist, best known for her pioneering work in feminist theory and queer studies. Her essay "The Traffic in Women" (1975) had a lasting influence in seco ...

and Guy Baldwin. In 2024, the LA&M announced a capital campaign to renovate the museum, including the addition of dedicated research space, flexible event space, and ADA-compliant accessibility. In 2025, the museum organized Chicago Leather Pride weekend, a three-day celebration of kink, fetish, and sexual identity.

Collection

It is estimated that just one percent of the museum's collection is on display at any given time.

Leather pride flag

The LA&M holds one of three original leather pride flags created by Tony DeBlase in 1989.

Drawings and illustrations

The LA&M has the world's largest collection of original work by Dom Orejudos (Etienne). In 2019, Bill Schmeling (the Hun) donated his entire personal collection of artwork and notes. The museum also holds works by

Chuck Arnett Charles "Chuck" Arnett (February 15, 1928March 2, 1988) was an American artist and dancer who was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and died in San Francisco. His best-known work is the The Tool Box (bar), Tool Box mural (1962). Biography Arnett gr ...

, Giacomo "Jack" Bozzi (Adam), Gerard Donelan, David Grieger, Beau Lee James, Charles Kerbs (MATT), Michael Kirwan, John Klamik (Sean), Touko Valio Laaksonen (Tom of Finland), Donald Merrick (Domino), Mike Miksche (Steve Masters), Olaf Odegaard, Jacki Randall, Rex, Al Shapiro (A. Jay), Joe T, Dennis Walsh, and Bill Ward. One of the museum's largest paintings is ''The

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

In a Gay Leather Bar With Judas Giving Christ the Finger'' by Steven Brown, inspired by the artist's struggle to reconcile faith and sexuality.

Photography and videography

LA&M holds photographs by Kris Studios, a male physique photography studio founded by Renslow and Orejudos (named in part to honor transgender pioneer

Christine Jorgensen Christine Jorgensen (; May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American actress, singer, recording artist, and transgender activist. A trans woman, she was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having Sex reassignment ...

). It also has photographs by

Kenneth Anger Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927 – May 11, 2023) was an American Underground film, underground experimental filmmaker, actor, and writer. Working exclusively in short films, he produced almost 40 works beginning i ...

George Dureau George Valentine Dureau (December 28, 1930 – April 7, 2014) was an American artist whose long career was most notable for charcoal sketches and black and white photography of poor white and black athletes, dwarfs, and amputees. Robert Mappletho ...

, Efrain J. Gonzalez, Adam Kozik, Lochai, and

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...

. LA&M's photos, videos, and oral histories chronicling International Mr. Leather and International Ms. Leather were featured in a 2015 documentary by Christina Court'': High Shine: 15 Years of International Ms Bootblack''.

Literature

LA&M holds complete sets of the magazines ''

Drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

'' (original run) and '' Bound & Gagged.'' In 2009, the LA&M acquired the 25-box collection of papers of Robert Davolt, author and organizer of the

San Francisco Pride The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration (formerly "International Lesbian and Gay Freedom Day", "Gay Freedom Day", and "Christopher Street West"), usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a pride parade and fe ...

leather contingent, and former editor of ''Bound & Gagged''. The collection includes records of leather and fetish organizations such as Chicago Hellfire Club, Conversio Virium, International Mr. Leather, Mid America Fists In Action (MAFIA), Mineshaft,

MIR ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...

(formerly Mr. International Rubber), National Leather Association, and

Society of Janus A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

, as well as the papers of Tony DeBlase. Hundreds of oral history recordings, videos and transcripts by leather and fetish trailblazers such as Joe Laiacona (better known by his alias Jack Rinella) and

Larry Townsend Larry Townsend (27 October 1930 – 29 July 2008) was the American author of dozens of books including ''Run, Little Leather Boy'' (1970) and ''The Leatherman's Handbook'' (1972), published by pioneer erotic presses such as Greenleaf Classics a ...

are also available to researchers.

Artifacts

The collection includes artifacts (such as vests, patches and pins) from and leather clubs from around the world, including Centurions of Columbus, Crucible MC, Empire City MC, Rochester Rams MC, Stallions MC, and Wheels MC. LA&M also displays ephemera from historic gay establishments, such as a

glory hole A glory hole (also spelled gloryhole and glory-hole) is a hole in a wall or partition, often between public toilet cubicles, public shower cubicles or sex video arcade booths and lounges, for people to engage in sexual activity or to observe ...

from Man's Country in Chicago, and a dress code sign from the Mineshaft in New York City. LA&M holds hundreds of bootblacking artifacts, many from bootblack competitions such International Mr. Bootblack (IMBB), International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB), and International Community Bootblack (ICBB). These include IMBB 1994 William Shields, Jr.'s bootblacking kit, IMBB 2000 David Hawk's bootblacking chair, and a bootblacking chair used by Harry Shattuck and ‘Daddy’ William Shields, Jr. in gay bars in Chicago, Boston, Providence and New York City between the 1990s and 2000s.

Body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...

artifacts in the collection include Cliff Raven's tattooing memorabilia; stories, artwork, and stencils by

Samuel Steward Samuel Morris Steward (July 23, 1909 – December 31, 1993), also known as Phil Andros, Phil Sparrow, was an American tattoo artist and pornographer. Throughout his life, he kept extensive secret diaries, journals, and statistics of his ...

; publications by

Fakir Musafar Roland Loomis (August 10, 1930 – August 1, 2018), known professionally as Fakir Musafar, was an American performance artist considered to be one of the founders of the modern primitive movement. Life Born Roland Loomis, he claimed at age 4 ...

; and photographs belonging to Sailor Sid Diller.

Gallery

Facilities

Etienne Auditorium

The LA&M contains a 164-seat auditorium named in honor of Dom Orejudos (who signed his artwork under the alias Etienne); the auditorium is adorned with original Etienne artwork from the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, and elsewhere. The auditorium is a hub for leather- and fetish-related events, community meetings, and lectures. The event space is available to rent for a fee, but is made available for free for small not-for-profit community group gatherings. The auditorium is home to the LA&M's annual ''Fetish Film Forum''.

Teri Rose Memorial Library

The Teri Rose Memorial Library, opened in 2005, allows visitors and researchers free access to a wide variety of books, periodicals, and catalogs. The non-circulating library contains more than 5,000 books, 11,000 magazines (including ''Honcho'', ''

Mandate Mandate most often refers to: * League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919 * Mandate (politics), the power granted by an electorate Mandate may also r ...

'', and '' Mattachine Review''), and 100 journals.

Gift shop

LA&M's gift shop sells vintage erotica, apparel, and a variety of merchandise, much of which features art by Etienne and the Hun. The gift shop has a small physical presence in the museum as well as an online store.

Recognition

In 2016,

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the Law and government of Chicago, government of the Chicago, City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 Wards of the United States, wards to serve four-year t ...

designated September 18, 2016 as "Leather Archives & Museum Day" in honor of the museum's 25th anniversary (Resolution R2016-704). The LA&M was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2017. The LA&M has received numerous honors and awards from leather organizations, including: * Pantheon of Leather Awards - Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year: 1997, 2001, 2006, and 2011. * International Deaf Leather Recognition Award: 2011. * Induction into Leather Hall of Fame: 2019. LA&M leaders have also received numerous honors: * Chuck Renslow, who died in 2017, is listed as the Chairman In Memoriam of the LA&M. The LA&M also gives out the Chuck Renslow President's Award to honor individuals and organizations for their contributions to the museum. * Joseph Bean, while executive director of the LA&M, received the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 1998 and 2000, and the Steve Maidhof Award for National or International Work from National Leather Association International in 1998. * Rick Storer, while executive director of the LA&M, received the President's Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2005, the Man of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2008, the Mr. Marcus Hernandez Lifetime Achievement Award (Man) as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards in 2012, and the National Leather Association International Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Exhibits

Past and present exhibits include'':'' * ''Fakir Musafar'' (2016) * ''A Room of Her Own'' (2016) - a chronicle of women's leather history * ''Excavating Experience: The Presence of LGBTQ People of Color in

Cook County, IL Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...

'' (2019) * ''Verboten: Works by Rex'' (2021) * ''The Golden Era: Leather,

Levi Levi ( ; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelites, Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron ...

and

Motorcycle Clubs A motorcycle club is a group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles. A motorcycle group can range as clubbed groups of different bikes or bikers who own same model of vehicle like the Harley Owners Group. Ther ...

'' (2021) * ''Sparks in a Dark Room'' by Gabriel Martinez (2023-2024) In regard to the name of ''A Room of Her Own'', curator Alex Warner wrote:

As I began work for the first exhibit installation of the Women's Leather History Project, I was excited that we were both literally and figuratively making room for Leatherwomen's history in the LA&M. It was out of this line of thinking that ''A Room of Her Own'' emerged, building on
Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...
's 1929
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
text ''
A Room of One's Own ''A Room of One's Own'' is an extended essay, divided into six chapters, by Virginia Woolf, first published in 1929. The work is based on two lectures Woolf delivered in October 1928 at Newnham College, Cambridge, Newnham College and Girton Co ...
'' that argues for women's need for space to think and create.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Leather Archives and Museum Archives in the United States BDSM organizations Leather museums Leather subculture LGBTQ culture in Chicago LGBTQ history in Illinois LGBTQ museums and archives Museums in Chicago Sex museums in the United States Fisting subculture