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Finding aid to the Robert F. Craig papers and photographs, 1934-2000
Coll2012.177
Coll2012.177
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Table of contents
Title: Robert F. Craig Papers and Photographs
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2012.177
Contributing Institution:
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.8 linear feet.
1 archive box + 1 archive binder + 6 archive shoeboxes + 2 flat archive boxes.
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1980-2000
Date (inclusive): 1934-2000
Abstract: Personal and professional papers, photographs, negatives, slides, film, audiocassettes, a videocassette, and other material
from businessman, publisher, and gay activist, Robert F. Craig, 1934-2000. Perhaps best known as owner of the Los Angeles-based
gay newsmagazine,
Frontiers, Craig was also instrumental in organizations such as Christopher Street West, Valley Business Alliance, Lobby for Individual
Freedom and Equality (LIFE AIDS Lobby), and the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee. Materials document his activism in
the gay community, personal life, military service, personal relationships, travels, and businesses he operated.
creator:
Craig, Robert F., 1934-2000
Robert F. Craig was a longtime gay political activist, businessman, and owner of the Los Angeles-based weekly newsmagazine,
Frontiers.
Born on May 22, 1934, Craig is a Los Angeles native who attended North Hollywood High School. He served four years in the
US Air Force and was assigned to the military police, before entering the University of Southern California where he majored
in accounting. He ran businesses, including a flower shop and a messenger service. By the 1970s, Craig became owner of the
Hayloft, a Studio City gay bar.
In 1978, Craig co-founded the Valley Business Alliance, which serves as a chamber of commerce for gay and lesbian business
owners. By the 1980s, he served as president of Christopher Street West, which organizes the Los Angeles gay pride parade
and festival. In 1982, Craig helped found
Frontiers with Greg Carmack and Jerry Hyde. Craig eventually became the sole owner, expanding the publication from a 16-page tabloid
to a 168-page magazine that had as of 2000 a circulation of more than 86,000 in Southern California, San Francisco and Las
Vegas.
Shortly after starting
Frontiers, Craig joined the drive to incorporate the West Hollywood neighborhood into a city, and in 1984, he was elected chairman
of the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee. In 1986, Craig helped establish the Lobby for Individual Freedom and Equality
(also known as LIFE AIDS Lobby) to fight in Sacramento for gay civil rights. The group successfully battled for increased
AIDS funding and extension of protections under the state hate crime law to gays and lesbians.
A long time resident of the San Fernando Valley, Craig died of complications from AIDS on April 28, 2000.
Sources:
Woo, Elaine. "Robert F. Craig: Published Gay Magazine."
Los Angeles Times, May 3, 2000, http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/03/local/me-26127 (last accessed March 20, 2013).
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
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.
Donor and date of acquisition unknown.
[Box/folder #, or item name] Robert F. Craig Papers and Photographs, Coll2012-177, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC
Libraries, University of Southern California.
Formerly boxes 103-191A, 103-191B, 103-191C, 103-191D, 103-191E, 103-364, and 103-365. Collection processed by Monica Ramsy
and Loni Shibuyama, March 2013.
The collection comprises personal papers, photographs, negatives, slides, film, audiocassettes, a videocassette, and other
material from businessman, publisher, and gay activist, Robert F. Craig, 1934-2000. The papers include Craig's administrative
records from
Frontiers, LIFE AIDS Lobby, Californians Against Prop 22, and Christopher Street West. The papers also document Craig's personal life,
including his education, military service, personal relationships, travels, businesses he operated, and other interests. The
photographs and audiovisual material includes hundreds of photographs and negatives documenting events such as gay pride parades,
LIFE AIDS Lobby fundraisers, drag queen pageants, parties; as well as his military experience and international travel. The
realia includes items such as Craig's military uniform service ribbons and insignias, name badges, a Masonic Lodge apron,
and Craig's leather vest from the gay bar he owned, Hayloft.
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Personal and professional papers
Series 2. Photographs and audiovisual materials
Series 3. Realia
The following publications have been separated from the collection and cataloged into ONE Archives' periodicals collection
or monograph library:
Advocate Collector's Edition, 20 Year Anniversary, 1987.
Being Alive, Celebrating Our Community, 1997 Spirit of Hope Awards program.
Christopher Street West, A New Gay Dawning, The Gay Pride Festival program, June 26-27, 1982.
Christopher Street West Gay Pride Celebration, Bicentennial issue July 4, 1976.
Frontiers: The Nation's Gay Newsmagazine, "A special Guide to the March on Washington," Santa Monica, CA: Mercury Capital Inc., 1993.
Nightlife Magazine, West Hollywood, CA: Data-Boy, Issue 580, February 8, 1993.
Sinatra 80 Years My Way [benefitting AIDS Project Los Angeles and Barbara Sinatra's Children's Center] program, 1995.
Stoney Awards 1997 program.
Stoney Awards 1999 program.
Super-men 80, Hollywood, California, August 24, 1980 program.
Task Force on Family Diversity, City of Los Angeles, Final Report, "Strengthening Families: a Model for Community Action,"
1988.
Task Force on Family Diversity, City of Los Angeles, Transcript of Public Hearings, January 28, 1987, February 19, 1987, March
16, 1987, April 8, 1987.
The following items have been separated from the collection and added to ONE Archives' t-shirt and garments collection:
Ask Me About Life AIDS Day [white t-shirt]
Christopher Street West Los Angeles 1982; A New Gay Dawning; Bob, CSW Official [pink t-shirt]
Christopher Street West; Pride=Power '92 [hat]
Come and Celebrate; See You in 1992; Long Beach; IAL/GPC [white t-shirt]
Community Yellow Pages [yellow t-shirt]
Dive!; The Incredible Skydive For Youth Services at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center; Saturday, August 19th, 1995 [white t-shirt]
Hayloft [leather vest]
I do; Freedom to Marry [gray t-shirt]
Pioneer Days; Valley Business Alliance [blue t-shirt]
Series 16; LA 92; NAGAAA Softball World Series [gray t-shirt]
Southern California Gay & Lesbian Exposition; Expo 94 [white t-shirt]
Together in Pride [white t-shirt]
In addition, 1 bumper sticker, 5 matchbook covers and 115 buttons have been separated from the collection and placed in ONE
Archives' ephemera collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Christopher Street West Association.
Frontiers Publishing.
Lobby for Individual Freedom and Equality.
AIDS activists--California--Los Angeles
Correspondence
Drag shows
Gay activists--California--Los Angeles
Gay pride parades
Gays in the military--United States
Photographs