Collections

The Echo (Linda J. Ray) and Karin A. McAdams Collection was a gift of Echo and McAdams in July 2011. Contained in the collection are two scrapbooks, featuring a wide array of Newspaper Clippings, Magazine Articles, Flyers, Photographs, and Programs dating from 1976-1983, and featuring LGBT rights and women’s issues. A few miscellaneous items are also featured, including two Gay Games medals and a necklace.

Small collection of documents and memorabilia highlighting women’s music and other LGBTQ-related topics.

Photos, memorabilia, and publications from local bars, 1990s-2000s.

The Evelyn “Evie” Akers Collection contains material that reflects the history of a variety of lesbian and gay social and amateur sports-oriented organizations. These organizations were active in the 1970s and 1980s, and included such sports as bowling, softball, horseshoes, darts, and shuffleboard. Ms. Akers was instrumental in founding the Kansas City Coed Sports Association in 1982, an effort to formally organize different types of amateur gay and lesbian sports teams. The scrapbook features newsletters, scoring sheets, photographs, and reminiscences written by Ms. Akers. Most of the photographs include captions as to the nature of the event, but are not completely identified. In addition, there is a section of the scrapbook that is composed of publicity stills of the band Fantasia, which featured Beverly Lynch. The scrapbook also contains Ms. Akers membership card to Pete’s Pub, a bar that primarily catered to the lesbian community, located on 47th Street just west of Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas; an historical list of Kansas City-area gay and lesbian bars; and several miscellaneous newspaper clippings.

VHS videotapes of Pride festival and local drag shows, 1990s – 2000s.

Collection of paintings by Joseph Keehn and a photo scrapbook from the 1993 March on Washington.

Photos, t-shirts, and memorabilia from an active member of the local leather community; also documentation from local leather competitions.

The audiovisual materials in this collection contain radio programs produced and recorded by Gary Shivers, including, “Jazz Scene,” “Gary Shivers Show,” and “Gary Shivers on Jazz.” The collection also holds recordings of interviews, music performances, and home recordings.

Newspaper clippings and other documentation reflecting the Topeka LGBTQ community.

T-shirts and documentation from city efforts to establish a domestic partnership registry and offer employee benefits to same-sex couples, early 2000s.