Finding aid to the Grace Miller Papers, 1926-1979 (bulk 1941-1965)

Series 1 Correspondence, 1941-1954, undated

Physical Description: 26.0 folders

Scope and Contents

The correspondence series includes letters from friends writing about upcoming visits, mutual friends, and searching for jobs, among other subjects. There are several letters from one friend Kathy who wrote suicide notes which are addressed to several people, including one to "Mama and Dad," regarding her state of mind and where to give her records and other items. There are a few romantic letters.

Arrangement note

Folders are arranged chronologically. Undated folders appear at the end and are arranged alphabetically.

Box 1, Folder 1

Marianne, Stockton, CA to "Bridget" Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, April 11, 1941

Box 1, Folder 2

[Helmlock?], San Francisco, CA to "Bridget" Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, May 13, 1941

Box 1, Folder 3

[Daze?], Amarillo/Albuquerque to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, March 10, 1941

Box 1, Folder 4

Merida, San Francisco, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, August-October 1942

Box 1, Folder 6

Suicide notes from Kathy [Kathleen Moore Asher] to "Bird" Grace Miller, Moma and Daddy, Warren ("C.E."), Myrt, 1946, 1953

General note

Also obituary for Wilma Swarts "Willie" of Mona's and Tommy's (1953); also clips of nurses' graduation.

Box 1, Folder 7

Kathy [Kathleen Moore Asher?], Glendale, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, July 20, 1947

General note

Telegram.

Box 1, Folder 8

Kathy [Kathleen Moore Asher?], Los Angeles, CA to "Bird" Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, July 20, 1947 postmark

Box 1, Folder 9

M. V. Miller (step-mother), Santa Rosa, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, August 26, 1948

Box 1, Folder 10

Wedding invitation for Eleanor Mae Grant to Rodney Andrew McGuire on May 26, 1950, May 10, 1950 postmark

Box 1, Folder 11

Bobbie [Matthews?], Cleveland, OH to Gracie Miller, San Francisco, CA, June 18, 1953

General note

Also addressed to "Gen, Frenchie, Aggie, etc."

Box 1, Folder 12

Virginia, Los Angeles, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, December 16, 1953

Box 1, Folder 13

Marian and Phill, Los Angeles, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, December 17, 1953 postmark

Box 1, Folder 14

K. Gerdel, Hollywood, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, January 6, 1954

Box 1, Folder 15

K. Gerdel, Hollywood, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, January 10, 1954

Box 1, Folder 16

K. Gerdel, Hollywood, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, January 18, 1954

Box 1, Folder 17

Patty, Twenty-nine Palms, CA to “Dad” Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, April 5, 1954

Box 1, Folder 18

Bobbie Matthews, Hollywood, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, May 1, 1954

Box 1, Folder 19

Bobbie [Matthews], Chicago, IL to Gracie Miller c/o Tommy's, San Francisco, CA, June 25, 1954

Box 1, Folder 20

Eleanor McGuire, Anchorage, AK to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, July 20, 1954

Box 1, Folder 21

Mrs. H. Waelde, Cleveland, OH to Miss Marian Waelde c/o Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, September 15, 1954

Box 1, Folder 22

Mrs. Frank B. North, San Francisco, CA to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, September 24, 1954

Box 1, Folder 23

Lana, New York, NY to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA, September 25, 1954

Box 1, Folder 24

Birthday card to Grace Miller, San Francisco, CA from "Dad and M.V." Miller, Santa Rosa, CA, [October 30, 1954 postmark]

Box 1, Folder 25

"Danny" to "My precious darling" and to "My darling" (2 items), Undated

Box 1, Folder 26

"Merida" [to Grace Miller?], Undated

Series 2 Subject Files, 1926-[1965?] (bulk 1942-1954)

Physical Description: 14.0 folders

Scope and Contents

The subject files series contains announcements for several lesbian clubs in the 1950s and early 1960s, a copy of Miller's birth certificate, documents relating to her employment, including tax returns with a record of her work for those years, and an obituary for her step-mother Mary Victoria Miller. The series also includes a program for a Lotte Lehmann concert, documents relating to Miller's car, a poem, notes on anemia and love, and a list of long-playing phonograph albums.

Arrangement note

The series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Box 1, Folder 27

Birth certificate (copy) for Grace Marie Miller, born November 1, 1918, February 8, 1926

General note

Copy of birth certificate made on February 8, 1926.

Box 1, Folder 28

Car: Insurance, 1945-1954

Box 1, Folder 29

Car: Parking tickets, 1954

Box 1, Folder 30

Car: Traffic accident, 1953

Box 1, Folder 31

Club announcements, 1950-[1965?], undated

Physical Description: 12.0 items

General note

Clubs include: Beige Room (2 items: 1954), Tommy's Place (2 items: [1952], 1953), Club Chi Chi (1 item: 1954), Ann's 440 Club (3 items: 1953 (2), undated), Tower Café (2 items: 1960, [1965?]), Mona's Candlelite/Candlelight (2 items: 1950, undated).

Box 1, Folder 32

Employment. War Department. Report of Field Personnel Action, November 14, 1942

General note

Re: Grace Miller resignation as Ward Attendant at Letterman General Hospital (served 1940-1942).

Box 1, Folder 33

Employment. Working card for Grace Miller. Amalgamated Association of Street Electric Railyway and Motor Coach Employees of America, Div. No. 1004 (San Francisco, CA), August 1943

Box 1, Folder 34

Employment. Tax documents, 1945-1954

General note

Notes work for Hale Bros., the Municipal Railway, Harmony Radio, and Tommy's.

Box 1, Folder 35

Employment. Civil Service Commission of San Francisco, May 13, 1949

General note

Notice of Grace Miller's results for "220 Woman Protective Officer" examination.

Box 1, Folder 36

List of long-playing phonograph record albums, by maker and size, Undated

General note

Possibly a list of Kathy Moore Asher's phonograph albums? See Asher correspondence in Box 1/Folder 6.

Box 1, Folder 37

[Notes on anemia and on how much someone loves another], Undated

Box 1, Folder 38

Obituary for Mary Victoria Miller (step-mother), April 4, 1958

Box 1, Folder 39

[Poem signed "Shirley"], undated

Box 1, Folder 40

Program: Lotte Lehmann…recital of lieder…texts of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe…University of California, Wheeler Auditorium, Berkeley, October 24, 1949

Series 3 Photographs, 1946-1979, undated (bulk 1946-1962)

Physical Description: 46.0 folders

Scope and Contents

The series contains many images of house parties attended by butch and femme lesbians and gay men; these date from the 1950s and 1960s. Two folders contain photos of Miller, Joyce van de Veer and others at a bar, with some images of singers and pianists. There are also some undated photographs of Grace as a child, and of family and friends through the years. There is a signed photo portrait of Kay Karal, and numerous images of friends Betty and Bobbie.

Arrangement note

Arranged chronologically with undated photographs at the end. Undated folders are arranged alphabetically by title.

Box 2, Folder 1

"Betty" [vacation, Maine?], August 1946

Physical Description: 9 photos

Box 2, Folder 2

[Betty], [1946?/1947?]

Physical Description: 12 photos

Box 2, Folder 3

[Betty et al.], August 1947

Physical Description: 24 photos + negatives

Box 2, Folder 4

Grace [Candlebury?], August 2, 1948

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 5

[Lake Austin?], June 1949

Physical Description: 6 photos

Box 2, Folder 6

Bobbie [Matthews?]. "My best to you always. Love, Bobbie" July 7, 1950

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 7

Grace Miller and friend sitting at a bar, October 1, 1951

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 8

Nightclub / Bar, 1952-1953

Physical Description: 17 photos

General note

Includes Grace Miller, Joyce Van de Veer, possibly Jean Sullivan?, singers and accompanists.

Box 2, Folder 9

"Yolando and Her Slaves (Daph)," [1954?]

Physical Description: 1 photo

General note

Includes Grace Miller, and Joyce van de Veer?

Box 2, Folder 10

Cats, 1956, 1964-1965

Physical Description: 12 photos + negatives

Box 2, Folder 11

Unidentified woman in bathing suit, 1957

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 12

[Family and children of friends], 1957-1962

Physical Description: 6 photos

General note

Includes "Kenneth George Grant (born 7/2/1962)" and "Andrew 18 mos."

Box 2, Folder 13

House party, February 1959

Physical Description: 11 photos and negatives

General note

Includes Grace, Joyce, et al., cats.

Box 2, Folder 14

[House party], March 1959

Physical Description: 21 photos + some negatives

General note

Some printed 1962.

Box 2, Folder 15

[House party], May 1959

Physical Description: 3 photos

Box 2, Folder 16

Carmel, CA; Santa Cruz, CA, July 1959

Physical Description: 8 photos

Box 2, Folder 17

[House party], November 1959

Physical Description: 11 photos + some negatives

Box 2, Folder 18

Kay Karal? portrait by Romaine, [195-?]

Physical Description: 1 photo

General note

Inscribed to Grace.

Box 2, Folder 19

[Cats, Christmas], March 1960

Physical Description: 7 photos + negatives

Box 2, Folder 20

"Party," April 1960

Physical Description: 5 photos and negatives

Box 2, Folder 21

[Friends, cats], May 1960

Physical Description: 7 photos and 8 negatives

Box 2, Folder 22

[Cats, house, girlfriend?], July 1960

Physical Description: 6 photos

Box 2, Folder 23

Grace Miller with cats, August 1960

Physical Description: 3 photos

Box 2, Folder 24

Grace Miller, October 1960

Physical Description: 2 photos

Box 2, Folder 25

[House party], November 1961

Physical Description: 13 photos + negatives

Box 2, Folder 26

Lake Austin, Austin, Texas. "On Lake Austin with 'The Girls' and my boat 'The Fancy,'" July 1962

Physical Description: 4 photos

Box 2, Folder 27

Unidentified woman, 1962-1963

Physical Description: 2 photos

Box 2, Folder 28

"'Margo' at the Coffee Service Open House," May 4, 1963

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 29

"Fancy and Me in the Living Room" [Margo], July 1963

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 30

"Christmas," December 1963/1964

Physical Description: 8 photos and some negatives

Box 2, Folder 31

Grace Miller, October 31, 1964 or 1965

Box 2, Folder 32

Christmas, [1977?]

Physical Description: 16 photos and negatives

Box 2, Folder 33

[8 photos sent to Miss J.E. Davies, San Francisco, CA], 1979

General note

Note reads: "Dag will return negatives to you later..."

Box 2, Folder 34

Debra "Debbie" Vincenti (Petaluma, CA) to Grace Miller and Dagman Johnson. Photos of Debbie's daughter Judy, 1979

Box 2, Folder 35

[Baby photo], Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 36

[Bobbie Matthews?], Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 37

Bobbie [Matthews?]. "To the best friend I know. All my love, Bobbie," Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 38

"Charles Fredericks. How about That!" Undated

Physical Description: 8 photos

Box 2, Folder 39

Family. "Auntie and Grace Marie," "Also at wading pool," Undated

Physical Description: 2 photos

Box 2, Folder 40

[Family?, children], Undated

Physical Description: negatives

Box 2, Folder 41

Grace Miller, Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 42

[Interior of bar, includes Grace Miller, Joyce van de Veer], Undated

Physical Description: 10 photos

Box 2, Folder 43

Joyce van de Veer, Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folder 44

[Man in front of car], Undated

Physical Description: 1 photo

Box 2, Folders 45-46

Unidentified photos and negatives, Undated

Box 3

Series 4 Scrapbook, 1954-1955

Physical Description: 1.0 scrapbook in box.

Scope and Contents

The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings from 1954-1955 that document the police raid on Tommy's Place and the arrest and trial of Grace Miller and Joyce van de Veer. Their lawyer was Robert Cort. On September 9, 1954 Grace Miller and Joyce van de Veer were arrested for contributing to the delinquency of minors. Bars they owned, 12 Adler Place and Tommy's Place (529 Broadway), were reportedly the rendezvous point for teen-age girls to gain access to alcohol, marijuana, and to meet older men and women. Later clippings concern the sentencing of Grace Miller to two consecutive jail terms (two 6-month sentences to run concurrently). The scrapbook also includes a letter to "Gracie" from many friends bemoaning her unfair treatment.