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Harvey Milk Letters to Susan Davis Alch 1956-1962
GLC 19  
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Table of contents What's This?

 

Series 1 Correspondence, 1956-1962

Physical Description: 30.0 folders

Scope and Contents

This series contains letters, postcards and a telegram from Harvey Milk to Susan Davis Alch. There are two postcards from Miami (March-April 1956), two letters from Dallas (January 1958), and one postcard and twenty-five letters from New York (May 1956, April 1958-1962).
Many of Milk's letters refer to their mutual friends, especially John Harvey, Milk's relationship with Joe Campbell, the positive and negative aspects of New York City, the possibilities of moving to Florida, Milk's search for better employment, his and Joe's move to Dallas, potential visits from Sue, movies, his cultural activities, gay life in New York and Montreal, and the deaths of Davis's father and Joe Campbell's mother. His letters also contain numerous jokes.

Arrangement note

This series is arranged chronologically.
Folder 1

Harvey [Milk], Miami Beach, FL to Sue Davis, Beverly Hills, CA, 1956 March 19 postmark

General note

Postcard re: arrival in Miami.
Folder 2

Harvey [Milk], Miami Beach, FL to Sue Davis, Beverly Hills, CA, 1956 April 11? postmark

General note

Postcard re: Miami.
Folder 3

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Sue Davis, Beverly Hills, CA, 1956 May 5 postmark

General note

Postcard re: return to New York.
Folder 4

Harvey [Milk], Dallas, TX to Sue Davis, Champaign, IL, 1958 January [15] postmark

General note

Mentions Joe [Campbell].
Folder 5

Harvey [Milk], Dallas, TX to Sue Davis, Champaign, IL, 1958 January [21] postmark

General note

Re: moving back to New York or to Florida, and John [Harvey]. Excerpt: "even though the love I had for John was not returned."
Folder 6

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Sue Davis, Champaign, IL, 1958 April 10 [postmark April 11]

General note

Re: death of Joe's mother, recession/depression nun joke, the stage, and New York.
Folder 7

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Sue Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 June 6 postmark

General note

Re: John Harvey, Sue's beauty, trips, Carnegie Hall joke.
Folder 8

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 August 27 postmark

General note

Re: New York, asks Sue to visit.
Folder 9

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Abbott Laboratories, Room 1000, [Chicago, IL], 1958 August 27

General note: Re: telegram with birthday and Christmas greetings.
Folder 10

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 September 22 postmark

General note

Re: thank you note, and Sue's visit on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Folder 11

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, [1958? September?] Tuesday

General note

Re: trip with Joe [Campbell] to Montreal, and marriage advice.
Folder 12

[Susan Davis] to Harv[ey Milk], [1958? September?]

General note

Typed letter with marginalia in pencil by Harvey as his reply. Re: Sue's trip to Florida and her visit with John Harvey, Donna, and Art.
Folder 13

[Harvey Milk], Long Beach, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, [1958] October 10

General note

Re: friendly letter, possibly moving to Manhattan.
Folder 14

[Harvey Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 October 24 postmark

General note

Re: Sue's aunt's move from New York to Chicago, rebus message about Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and seeing the big country.
Folder 15

[Harvey Milk], New York, NY to Sue Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 October 29 postmark

General note

Re: Halloween note.
Folder 16

Harvey Milk, Long Beach, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL, 1958 December 9 postmark

General note

Re: skiing, John [Harvey] and Donna, Sue's new television job, Joe's job at Xavier Cugat's club, Casa Cugat, possibly moving to NY.
Folder 17

[Harvey Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Chicago, IL forwarded to Beverly Hills, CA, 1960 March 24 postmark

General note

Friendly letter written in a spiral about spring.
Folder 18

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Beverly Hills, CA, 1960 May 27 postmark

General note

Friendly letter, mentions "Miss Hunter" [i.e. Tab Hunter] becoming an antiques dealer, trip to Canada.
Folder 19

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Beverly Hills, CA, 1960 June 9 postmark

General note

Re: pictures of Joe [Campbell], and Sue's visit.
Folder 20

H[arvey] B. Milk, New York, NY to Susan Davis, Westwood, CA, [1960?] June 21 postmark

General note

Re: John [Harvey]. Bottom of page three is torn off.
Folder 21

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Los Angeles, CA, 1960 July 11 postmark

General note

Re: relationship with Joe [Campbell] and with John [Harvey], gay life in NY, Austin O'Toole and his productions, racehorse joke, and "Good Luck Prayer" chain letter.
Folder 22

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Los Angeles, CA, 1960 August 1

General note

Re: Joe [Campbell], education, Sue's father's death, Sue's visit.
Folder 23

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Susan Davis, Los Angeles, CA, 1960 September 1

General note

Re: life in NY and rents.
Folder 24

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Los Angeles, CA. 1960 September 12

General note

Re: Hurricane "Donna," Austin O'Toole and Phil Silvers's productions.
Folder 25

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Susan Davis, Los Angeles, CA, 1961 February [8] postmark

General note

Re: Joe and New York.
Folder 26

Harvey [Milk], New York, NY to Sue [Davis], 1961 June 5

General note

Re: friendly letter, mentions Joe [Campbell] and John [Harvey].
Folder 27

Harvey B. Milk, New York, NY to Mr. and Mrs. George Alch, Los Angeles, CA, 1961 June 21 postmark

General note

Re: Sue's marriage, and San Francisco. For enclosed snapshot of Harvey on the beach, see Series 2: Photographs.
Folder 28

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Mrs. George Alch, Los Angeles, CA, 1961 September 14

General note

Re: breaking up with Joe [Campbell], John Harvey's whereabouts, marrying a "strange girl," and movies.
Folder 29

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Mrs. George Alch, Los Angeles, CA, 1961 November 8

General note

Re: Russian film Summer to Remember, and Joe [Campbell]'s visit and the opera.
Folder 30

Harvey Milk, New York, NY to Mrs. George Alch, Los Angeles, CA, 1962 April 3

General note

Re: John Harvey, break-up with Joe Campbell, movie reviews, possible trip to Greece. Excerpt: "...can you picture Jesus with teased hair."
Folder 31

Series 2 Photographs, [1950s, 1961]

Physical Description: 4.0 images

Scope and Contents

John Harvey (2 items, 1950s), Joe Mahaffey and Del Erickson (1 item, 1950s); all three photographs are from the 1950s and were originally filed after the December 9, 1958 letter. Harvey Milk (1 item, 1961); it was originally enclosed with letter dated June 21, 1961.