Vicki Marlane (1934-2011) was a critically acclaimed drag performer and transgender woman who worked in San Francisco. The Vicki Marlane Photographs and Artifacts document Marlane’s personal life in the 1970s and 1980s and her performance work in the 1990s.

Vicki Marlane (1934-2011) was a critically acclaimed drag performer and transgender woman who worked in San Francisco. Marlane’s numerous awards and the efforts of various LGBT organizations to rename a block of Turk Street after Marlane underscore her importance to these communities. Born on September 5, 1934, in Crookston, Minnesota, Marlane left her family’s farm after she began performing at a Minnesota gay bar at age 16. In the 1950s and 1960s, she toured nationally in circus sideshows, then with female impersonator troupes. In 1966, Marlane moved to, and performed widely in, San Francisco. In the 1980s, Marlane transitioned and moved to San Diego. Returning to the San Francisco drag scene in 1998, Marlane earned critical acclaim as “The Lady with the Liquid Spine” while performing at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge. Marlane continued to perform at Imperial and Ducal Court events, was Grand Marshal of the 2003 San Francisco Pride Parade, and was the subject of the documentary Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight (2009). She died July 5, 2011 of AIDS-related complications.

2 cartons, 1 box (2.4 linear feet)

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Collection is open for research.