Anderson (James Robert) papers, circa 1977-2014

Printable guide [HTML]

Scope and content:: This collection documents the life and work of the artist James Robert Anderson. The collection includes records from 1977-2014, with a primary focus on 1985-2010. Materials include journals, notebooks, personal correspondence, correspondence relating to Anderson’s art career, photographs, production materials for art projects and exhibitions, grant applications, news clippings and press about Anderson’s HIV status, and school coursework.
Biographical / historical:: James Robert Anderson was an artist who lived and worked in San Francisco, California. He worked across several different mediums including charcoal drawings, oil paintings, and multimedia installation. Some of his notable works include From Portraits to Perganon, Rattlesnake in a Moving Car, and the design for the 1982 Gay Games poster. Anderson made national headlines in the early 1990s because of the fact that although he was HIV positive, he never developed AIDS, even without the assistance of medical treatments. Anderson had a longtime partner, Rex Jones, who worked at UCSF and passed away in 2007.
Acquisition information:: The collection was donated to the GLBT Historical Society by Margaret Peña in June 2020.

Collection Guide Author:: Finding aid created by GLBT Historical Society staff.
Date Prepared:: circa 1977-2014
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:: Collection is open for research.
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