Archives Donations
The Wilcox Archives actively seeks donations of materials that enhance our current holdings as well as monetary contributions to support the cataloging, processing, and preservation of our collections. We welcome gifts of personal papers and the records of LGBTQ organizations from the greater Philadelphia area. We are particularly interested in material from under-represented communities, including women, people of color, and the transgender community. Please contact us at archives@waygay.org to learn more.
Personal Papers
The personal papers of local activists, artists, writers, entertainers, educators and others provide a unique window into the history of the LGBTQ community. Your letters, diaries, photos, and other material accumulated over the years tell an important story about your life and your place in the community. When you donate your personal papers to the Wilcox Archives, your history becomes a piece of the community’s rich and varied narrative.
Organizational Records
Whether it’s a community social group, a non-profit service organization, or a local business, the heart of your organization’s memory is in its records. These documents provide witness to the important accomplishments of your organization and its place in the LGBTQ community. By donating your organization’s records to the Wilcox Archives, you will assure that its history and traditions will continue to be a part of the community’s collective memory.
Caring For Your Materials
The Wilcox Archives provides environmentally controlled, secure physical and digital storage for your materials and oversees their proper handling and use. We arrange and describe your materials so that researchers can discover and make productive use of them.
Materials we Collect
Articles and essays
Awards and certificates
Banners and protest signs
Business and organizational records
Buttons and pins
Comics
Diaries and memoirs
Fine art
Legal documents
Letters
Minutes and reports
Newspapers, magazines, newsletters
Original audiovisual material
Pamphlets, brochures, flyers
Personal papers
Photographs, slides, negatives
Poetry
Professional papers
Pulp fiction novels
Rare books and artists books
Scrapbooks and photo albums
Speeches and lectures
Subject files
T-shirts
Travel guides and directories
Zines