James Robert Anderson papers
Finding aid created by GLBT Historical Society staff using RecordEXPRESS
GLBT Historical Society
2023
989 Market Street, Lower Level
San Francisco, California 94103
(415) 777-5455
reference@glbthistory.org
http://www.glbthistory.org/
Title: James Robert Anderson papers
Dates: circa 1977-2014
Collection Number: 2022-09
Creator/Collector:
James Robert Anderson
Extent: 3 linear feet (3 cartons)
Repository:
GLBT Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94103
Abstract: This collection documents the life and work of the artist James Robert Anderson. 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, school coursework, and correspondence relating to
the death of Anderson’s longtime partner, Rex Jones.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research.
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.
[Identification of item]. James Robert Anderson papers. Collection Number: 2022-09. GLBT Historical Society
The collection was donated to the GLBT Historical Society by Margaret Peña in June 2020.
Biography/Administrative History
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.
Scope and Content of Collection
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.
LGBTQ
Gay men
Art
Long-term relationships
AIDS (disease)
San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)