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Prince (Virginia) Papers
SC.VP  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • Biographical Information:
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement of Materials:
  • Related Materials:
  • Conditions Governing Access:
  • Conditions Governing Use:
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Preferred Citation:
  • Processing Information:

  • Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives
    Title: Virginia Prince Papers
    Creator: Prince, Virginia, 1912-2009
    Identifier/Call Number: SC.VP
    Physical Description: 1.67 linear feet
    Date (inclusive): 1930-1980
    Abstract: Virginia Prince established, edited, and wrote for the magazine Transvestia. As editor and writer for Transvestia, Prince collected newspaper clippings, magazine articles, cartoons, and photographs on cross dressing that appeared in other print media outlets. The clippings date from the 1930s to 1970s. She subscribed to a news service which scanned a number of publications across the country, and sent clippings to her. The clippings file served as a resource for the magazine.
    Language of Material: English

    Biographical Information:

    Virginia Prince was born on November 23, 1912, in Los Angeles. A trans woman, she began cross-dressing at about the age of twelve, at first using her mother's clothes. In 1939, she received a PhD in pharmacology from the University of California, San Francisco. As a research assistant and lecturer in pharmacology, Prince used the opportunity of access to the medical library to become acquainted with medical literature on trans identities and related issues.
    By 1956, Prince began to develop her own philosophy of trans identities and her mission to educate the medical profession, members of the trans commmunity, and the rest of the world. This involved the development of the idea of 'femmiphilia', or, love of the feminine. Prince preferred to call herself a femmiphile (FP) rather than a "transvestite," the label assigned to her by mainstream society at that time. Little information was then available in print, even in the medical literature, and most people's knowledge of trans identities was gleaned from newspapers such as the British People and News of the World.
    In 1960, Prince established Transvestia, a magazine she also edited and wrote for. The magazine was published by Prince's Chevalier Publications, and was sold by subscription and through adult bookshops. Over the years Chevalier Publications also published trans fiction, some of it written by Prince herself. Prince continued her efforts on behalf of trans communities until shortly before her death in 2009.

    Scope and Contents

    As editor and writer for Transvestia, Virginia Prince collected newspaper clippings, magazine articles, cartoons, and photographs on cross dressing that appeared in various print media outlets. The clippings date from the 1930s to 1970s, and served as a resource for the magazine.
    The Virginia Prince Papers are arranged into five series. Series I, People, contains clippings about specific individuals, and is arranged alphabetically. Series II, Advertisements, Cartoons, and Newspaper Photographs, is arranged alphabetically by format or title. Series III, Dated News Clippings (1930-1972), is arranged chronologically. Series IV, Topical News Clippings, is arranged alphabetically by subject. Series V, News Clippings A-Z (1937-1972), is arranged alphabetically by publication title.

    Arrangement of Materials:

    Series I: People
    Series II: Advertisements, Cartoons, and Newspaper Photographs
    Series III: Dated News Clippings, 1930-1972
    Series IV: Topical News Clippings
    Series V: News Clippings A-Z, 1937-1972

    Related Materials:

    Conditions Governing Access:

    The collection is open for research use.

    Conditions Governing Use:

    Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Virginia Prince, 1988

    Preferred Citation:

    For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials  guide.

    Processing Information:

    Tony Gardner

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Documents