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Finding Aid to the National Socialist League Collection, 1928-2011 Coll2013.024
Coll2013.024  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Processing Information
  • Historical Note
  • Scope and Content
  • Acquisition
  • Preferred Citation
  • Arrangement
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Separated Materials

  • Title: National Socialist League collection
    Identifier/Call Number: Coll2013.024
    Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 0.4 linear feet. 1 archive carton
    Date (inclusive): 1928-2011
    Abstract: The collection consists of periodicals, correspondence, manuscripts, clippings, flyers, catalogs, brochures, subscription forms, greeting cards and mass mailings created by the National Socialist League (NSL) and other related organizations, 1928-2011. The NSL was a Los Angeles based organization of gay nazis from the 1970s to the mid-1980s run mainly by Russell R. Veh.
    creator: National Socialist League (U.S.).
    creator: Veh, Russell R.

    Processing Information

    Supervised by Kyle Morgan, 2013.

    Historical Note

    The National Socialist League (NSL) was a Los Angeles based organization of gay nazis from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. NSL's main goal was to promote both (certain) gay rights and national socialist ideology. It was founded in the early 1970s by Jim Cherry and was taken over by Russell R. Veh (pseudonym Russell R. Patton) in 1974. Though starting from Los Angeles, NSL opened chapters in cities throughout the United States. The NSL published flyers and periodicals, mailed radical right-wing greeting cards, organized nazi film screenings and tried to get involved in gay activism. However the organization was not well received by the community and Russell Veh was forced to move out of Los Angeles (Echo Park) in 1980 and to thereafter hide his place of residence.
    The NSL published the quarterly periodical NS Kampfruf until 1974 when the name changed to NS Mobilizer. The publications contain self-written short articles about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, anti-communism, historical misrepresentation, current political nazi topics and "hero" worship. Besides the NSL, Russell Veh also ran World Service, a mail order firm that sold nazi propaganda material, books and films including those about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and the Holocaust denial. The NSL periodical was later continued under the name Race and Nation by the World Service.

    Scope and Content

    The collection consists of periodicals, correspondence, manuscripts, clippings, flyers, catalogs, brochures, subscription forms, greeting cards and mass mailings created by the National Socialist League and other related organizations. It includes issues of the periodicals published by the NSL, NS Kampfruf and NS Mobilizer, as well as materials about NSL member Russell R. Veh's World Service organization and its publication Race and Nation. The collection contains material about NSL's attempt to participate at the Christopher Street West parade as well as NSL advertisements, articles and interviews in gay newspapers. The collection includes some reprints of German Nazi propaganda from 1928-1943.

    Acquisition

    The collection comprises two anonymous donations in 1979 and 2007 and a donation by Donald E. Smith in 2011.

    Preferred Citation

    [Box/folder #, or item name] National Socialist League Collection, Coll2013-024, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

    Arrangement

    This collection is arranged in alphabetical order.

    Conditions Governing Access

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

    Conditions Governing Use

    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.

    Separated Materials

    Separated to the ONE Periodicals Collection
    Entertainment West, no.119.
    Separated to the ONE Subject Files Collection
    Leathermen promotional materials.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Hate speech--United States
    Homophobia
    Periodicals
    White supremacy movements