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Title: Ms. Bob Davis papers
Dates: 1977-2014
Collection Number: 2012-06
Creator/Collector:
Extent: 4 linear feet (three cartons, two oversized folders)
Online items available
Repository:
GLBT Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94103
Abstract: Ms. Bob Davis is a professor of music and sound design, as well as a composer, sound engineer, and owner of the Louise Lawrence
Transgender Archive. This collection contains materials from Davis’ professional and personal life, documents from her service
on the GLBT Historical Society board, and memorabilia from three of her friends: the drag performers Ambi Sextrous, “Tippi,”
and Doris Fish.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research. This collection has been digitized through a partnership with Gale/Cengage. Contact the GLBT
Historical Society Archivist for information regarding access to the digital collection.
Copyright to material created by Ms. Bob Davis has been transferred to the GLBT Historical Society; copyright to other material
has not. All requests for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to
the GLBT Historical Society Archivist. Permission for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material is
given on behalf of the GLBT Historical Society 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 by the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Ms. Bob Davis papers. Collection Number: 2012-06. GLBT Historical Society
The various sections of the collection were donated to the GLBT Historical Society by Ms. Bob Davis between 1997 and 2019.
Biography/Administrative History
Ms. Bob Davis is a professor of music and sound design, as well as a composer, sound engineer, and owner of the Louise Lawrence
Transgender Archive. She is the first transgender person to become a member of the tenured faculty at City College of San
Francisco (CCSF), where she has also served as Dean of Liberal Arts.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains materials from Davis’ professional and personal life, documents from her service on the GLBT Historical
Society board, and memorabilia from three of her friends: the drag performers Ambi Sextrous, “Tippi,” and Doris Fish. The
personal and professional materials contain records of the Queer Resource Center and Queer Alliance club at City College of
San Francisco (CCSF), as well as conference materials, books, photographs, and ephemera, and VHS tapes of Shanti Project videos
and related floppy disks with Shanti Project training manual materials. There are also a number of photographs of people in
and out of drag on an RSVP cruise, purchased by Davis at a garage sale. Ambi Sextrous’ materials include fliers, photographs,
an essay, and a book of song titles from Ambi’s professional repertoire. Mead and Fish’s materials are largely composed of
personal memorabilia, including dolls, buttons, jewelry, and a telephone; there are also a number of cassette recordings of
rehearsals of Mead and Fish’s performance troupe, Sluts-a-Go-Go. Two oversized folders contain posters from the 10th Annual
Transgender Awareness Day at City College, a poster from Magnet, a Victoria Kolakowski campaign poster, and a No on 8 yard
sign. An additional oversized folder contains a 6-foot New York cityscape by Fish. GSSO linked terms: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000130;
http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000384; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000395; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/NCIT_C16529;
http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_001443; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000521
Transgender people
AIDS (disease)
Education
Drag
Trans women
Nonbinary people