J. J. Belanger papers, 1937-1994

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Summary

Creators:
Belanger, J. J. (Joseph John Bertrund)
Abstract:
The papers comprise the subject files; audiotapes and photography; and correspondence, notes and other personal records of Joseph John Bertrund Belanger, known as J. J. Belanger, 1937-1994. Belanger was a military serviceman in the 1940s and 1950s, member and officer in the Mattachine Society in the 1950s and 1960s, a volunteer in numerous causes in the 1970s and 1980s, and a collector of LGBT history, especially of AIDS-related materials of the mid-to-late 1980s.
Extent:
6 Linear Feet 4 archive boxes, 2 clamshell boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, J. J. Belanger papers, Coll2011.035, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Background

Scope and content:

The collection comprises the personal papers, subject files, audiotapes, and photography of J. J. Belanger, 1937-1994. The personal papers consists of correspondence, notes, military records, reference material, and other personal material covering Belanger's life from 1937-1990.

The subject files contain clippings, promotional materials, research articles, pamphlets and flyers, legal records, meeting minutes, newsletters, and other like materials documenting non-AIDS-related institutions which Belanger was involved with as well as AIDS-related material collected by Belanger. Of special note in these files is the Mattachine Society address book maintained by Belanger in 1958 as the society's Director of Public Relations.

The open-reel audiotapes and photographic prints were created and/or collected by J. J. Belanger, 1942-1990. Of special note are the military era photographs from 1942-1960, documenting Belanger, his friends, and fellow service men.

Biographical / historical:

Joseph John Bertrund Belanger was born February 19, 1925, in Edmonton, Canada. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942 to 1944 where he was awarded a Defense Medal, Canadian Voluntary Service Medal, and War Medal for his World War II service. He worked odd jobs in Vancouver and Calgary until 1954 when he joined the United States Air Force. He served for five years, earning the Aviation Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Outstanding Airman of the 26th Air Refueling Squadron, numerous other commendations, and a promotion.

Belanger became a member of the Mattachine Society in the early 1950s, but resigned in 1953 after an incident with police threatened to bring negative publicity to the organization. However, Belanger maintained contact with Hal Call and in 1958 became the Mattachine Society's Director of Public Relations. In 1959 he was voted out of the post, but still remained a member of the society.

Since the 1950s Belanger has lived in either San Francisco and Los Angeles, although the particulars of his life are documented only sporadically. He was the Los Angeles coordinator of the Eulenspiegel Society in the 1970s. In the 1980s he was politically involved with the San Francisco chapter of the Stonewall Gay Democratic Club, where he ran and lost a bid for treasurer in 1988. Also in the 1980s he volunteered for Project Inform and was a member of the Quarantine Fighter’s Group. Belanger was also a devoted collector of LGBT history, especially of AIDS-related materials of the mid-to-late 1980s.

(The Mattachine years were referenced from James T. Sears' Behind the Mask of the Mattachine, Harrington Park Press, 2006.)

Processing information:

Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The collection has been culled from boxes A248, 103-12, 103-17, 103-59, 103-81, 103-119, 103-127, 103-135, 103-193, 103-254, 103-283, 103-293, 103-294, 103-334, 104-35, 104-96, 104-130.

Because the subject file materials of this collection overlap the content of the ONE Subject Files collection, only a sample of these materials have been retained in this collection. Because the AIDS-related files comprised the largest volume of the single-topic material, these materials as well as materials from organizations in which Belanger was actively involved were retained. These materials will provide a consolidated resource of these topics as well as an example of the distinctive annotation style of J. J. Belanger. See the Separated Materials note for a list of the subject files that were separated for integration into the ONE Subject Files collection.

Collection processed by Amanda Meyncke and Kyle Morgan, September 2011.

Arrangement:

The files are arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Personal papers, 1937-1992

Series 2. Subject files, 1952-1994

Series 3. Audiotapes and photographs, 1942-1990

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

Researchers wishing to publish material must obtain permission in writing from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives as the physical owner of the material. Note that permission to publish does not constitute copyright clearance. ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials from the copyright holder(s).

Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, J. J. Belanger papers, Coll2011.035, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
Website