Sanchez (Maria) Papers, 1950-1980

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Scope and content:: This collection contains the professional and personal papers of Maria Sanchez. The records within this collection span from 1950-1981, with a primary focus on 1978-1980. Materials include photographs of Maria at the Sutro Bathhouse and with friends, disco zines (including Baseline: Bay Area Disco Report, Disco Zine, and Gay Life), an article from the San Francisco Chronicle on lady’s night at the Sutro Bathhouse, ¼” audio tapes of her DJ sets, as well as various ephemera such as childhood report cards, a Trocadero Transfer ID card, correspondence with friends and family, event invitations, and flyers for women’s community events. GSSO Linked Terms: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_004300; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_008517; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_003124
Biographical / historical:: Maria Sanchez was born in Cuba on November 14, 1953 and raised in New York City. She was a popular San Francisco DJ, who spun records at many venues, including the Sutro Bathhouse and the Fairoaks Hotel. She was a member of the Bay Area Disco DJ Association (BADDA) and wrote a monthly disco gossip column in "Baseline: Bay Area Disco Report."
Acquisition information:: The collection was donated to the GLBT Historical Society by Stephen McNeil in 2005.

Subjects:: Music
Nightlife
Bathhouses
People of color
Latinx people
Latinas
Women
Bars and Clubs
Disco
Latinx people/Latinos/Latinas

Collection Guide Author:: Finding aid created by GLBT Historical Society staff.
Date Prepared:: 1950-1980
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

Restrictions:: Collection is open for research. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Terms of access:: Copyright to material has been transferred to the GLBT Historical Society. All requests for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to the GLBT Historical Society Archivist.

Location of this collection:: GLBT Historical Society

989 Market Street, Lower Level

San Francisco, CA 94103, US