Collection Guide
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Finding Aid to the Polly Taylor papers
1879-2017 GLC 212
GLC 212
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Title: Polly Taylor papers
Creator:
Taylor, Polly I. (Polly Irene), 1929-2016
Identifier/Call Number: GLC 212
Physical Description:
7 cartons, 2 manuscript boxes, 2 oversized flat boxes, and 2
oversized folders
(11 cubic feet)
Date (inclusive): 1879-2017
Date (bulk): (1943-2015)
Abstract: Polly Taylor (1929-2016) was a lesbian
activist who dedicated her life to social justice. Born into a Quaker family, she pursued
careers as a psychological social worker and therapist in Buffalo, New York, and was
involved in anti-draft and anti-Vietnam War efforts. Disillusioned with therapy work, she
moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s. Taylor and Mickey Spencer launched
Broomstick, a self-published radical feminist magazine for women
over forty, which ran from 1978-1993. Despite health issues and a COPD diagnosis at age 65,
Taylor remained an activist. She was the first out lesbian to secure low-income senior
housing at Coleridge Senior Housing in San Francisco, paving the way for other lesbian
activists. Taylor was an active member of many support and writing groups including OLOC
(Old Lesbians Organizing Change) and a Lesbian Memoir writing group. Polly Taylor passed
away on July 26, 2016. The collection includes oral histories, work as a psychiatric social
worker and therapist,
Broomstick magazine, correspondence,
Taylor's published and unpublished writings, a large collection of photographs, and a
t-shirt and a political button collection.
Physical Location: The collection is stored
off-site.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English.
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. This
collection is stored offsite and should be requested 48 hours in advance.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in
writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San
Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items. All requests for permission to
publish from photographs must be submitted in writing to the Photo Curator. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the
physical items.
[Identification of item], Polly Taylor papers (GLC 212), James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center,
San Francisco Public Library.
Gift.
Researchers may also be interested in the
Broomstick magazine
records, 1972-2005
at UCLA and the
Marjory Nelson
papers, 1947 - 2022
at Smith College.
During processing, the entire collection was foldered and housed in acid-free folders and
boxes. Some metal staples remain. A selction of the day planners received in Series 1 were
kept in the collection. One day planner was selected for every year (with the exception of
2016, all were kept for this year) as a representation of the material.
Two complete runs of
Broomstick were transferred to the San
Francisco Public Library History Center and Book Arts and Special Collections departments. A
complete set has been digitized and is available at
JSTOR .
Polly Irene Taylor (1929-2016) was a lesbian activist for feminism, peace, and social
justice. Born into a Quaker family in Haverford, Pennsylvania, she embodied the Quaker
principles of peace, equality, and social justice throughout her life.
She experienced the loss of her mother at the age of 13, which led her to attend a Quaker
boarding school. Between college and graduate school, she worked at the International
Grenfell Association in North West River, Labrador, Canada, serving as a house mother for
students who traveled from the northern regions for schooling. Her father picked her up for
her summer break after her second year there. On the way home they were in an auto accident
that killed her father and left Polly with many injuries.
After graduating from Wellesley College, she pursued a master's degree, setting the
foundation for her career as a psychological social worker and therapist. Following graduate
school, she worked in a child-welfare agency in Buffalo and developed a private therapy
practice in 1961. She eventually became disenchanted with therapy and left Buffalo with
Marge Nelson on a mission seeking an older women's movement. They traveled around the United
States in an RV and went to many locations, including Washington DC, where they collaborated
with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). During their travels,
they supported Joan/Joanne Little and Yvonne Wanrow before finally settling in San Francisco
in 1978. Together with Mickey (Maxine) Spencer, she launched
Broomstick magazine, a radical feminist publication for women over 40, which they
co-published for 15 years.
She was a member of Old Lesbians Organizing Change (OLOC) and was involved with several
support and writing groups. At age 65, she became the first openly lesbian individual to
obtain low-income senior housing at Coleridge Senior Housing in San Francisco and helped
other senior lesbians find housing there as well. She was also a member of a group known as
the "Wild Old Women" who successfully managed to shut down their local bank for an hour
every Thursday for five years. Motivated by her personal battles with asthma and COPD, Polly
was also an active participant in the disability rights movement. Polly Taylor passed away
on July 26, 2016.
The collection includes material related to Polly Taylor's family and personal history,
correspondence, her work as co-editor of
Broomstick magazine,
published and unpublished writings, materials relating to support groups and other
associations, a large collection of photographs, and a collection of t-shirts and political
buttons.
Noteworthy are the oral histories, the folders on the International Grenfell Association in
Labrador, and the Framingham Women's Reformatory in Massachusetts found in Series 1. Rich
descriptions of Taylor's early life in San Francisco and the beginnings of
Broomstick are found in Series 2, folder 1: Outgoing and notes.
Series 5 contains over 500 pages written in a Lesbian Memoir writing group. Also of note are
the photographs in Series 6, which document her activities with civil rights movements,
including Yvonne Wanrow.
The collection is arranged in 8 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, Series 2:
Correspondence, Series 3:
Broomstick magazine, Series 4:
Writings and journals, Series 5: Associations, Series 6: Printed material and VHS, Series 7:
Photographs, and Series 8: Realia (T-shirts and buttons).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lesbian feminists -- California -- San Francisco.
Older lesbians -- Periodicals.
Older women -- Social conditions -- Periodicals.
Lesbian activists -- California -- San Francisco.
Gay rights -- California -- San Francisco.
Lesbian feminism.
Taylor, Polly I. (Polly Irene),
1929-2016
Broomstick (Firm)
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change