Ken Dickmann papers and photographs, circa 1920-1995, bulk Bulk, 1970-1995

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Summary

Creators:
Dickmann, Ken, 1942-1995
Abstract:
Personal papers, writings, theater production records, publicity material, correspondence, photographs, negatives, slides, and other material, circa 1920-1995, from Ken Dickmann. Materials document Dickmann's life as an Air Force veteran, writer, performer, director, publicist, and gay activist in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. The collection includes his published and unpublished articles related to theater and film criticism and issues in the gay community; material from his work in theater and public relations; and extensive photographs documenting his family and friends, theater and publicity career, drag performances, travel, and gay and lesbian communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. Also included are the correspondence and writings of Dickmann's friend Ron Romovich.
Extent:
25.1 linear feet. 10 archive boxes + 26 archive binder boxes + 4 archive shoeboxes + 1 oversize envelope.
Language:
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder #, or item name] Ken Dickmann Papers and Photographs, Coll2013-063, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection, circa 1920-1995, documents Dickmann's childhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; his enlistment in the Air Force after high school, 1960-1963; his involvement in the theatrical scene of San Francisco, circa 1964-1979; and his careers in public relations and journalism in Los Angeles and Hawaii, 1980-1995. The personal papers, 1942-1995, include academic records, memorabilia, financial records, medical records, Air Force records, appointment calendars, personal affects and small-scale art projects. Dickmann's writings include clippings of articles written by Dickmann, primarily related to theater, restaurants, and cultural criticism; personal writings, unpublished drafts, and notes; and early columns and writings under the pseudonyms Pola del Vecchio or Ken Fantastic. The performing arts and publicity career materials includes press kits, programs, production material, and theatrical reviews of productions and events, for which Dickmann performed, directed, produced, or publicized. The correspondence includes both personal and professional correspondence files. The photographs include photographic prints, negatives, and slides, documenting among other things Dickmann's experience in the Air Force, theater and drag events in San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s, celebrity events in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s, AIDS activism, and Dickmann's life in Hawaii. The collection also includes manuscripts and writings of Dickmann's longtime friend, Ron Romovich.

Biographical / historical:

Writer and publicist Kenneth Harold Dickmann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 27, 1942. After high school in the midwest, he served for four years in the United States Air Force until he received a dishonorable discharge when it was revealed that he was gay. However, he successfully challenged and overturned his dishonorable discharge status.

After leaving the Air Force, he lived in San Francisco in the early 1960s where he quickly became involved in the local theater scene as a performer, writer, and director. He starred in Society for Individual Rights (SIR) productions of all-male musicals, including Little Mary Sunshine, Dames at Sea, and Silhouettes. He directed the SIRlebrities Capades and hosted the Isadora Duncan Picnics and Bette Bus costume parties. During this time, he wrote weekly columns for Kaleidoscope, Data-Boy, and other publications.

By the 1980s, Dickmann had moved to Los Angeles and was writing theater reviews and celebrity interviews for the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Frontiers, Edge, and the Advocate. In addition, Dickmann worked in public relations for Filmex and the American Cinematheque, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Art Festival, and various film festivals throughout Southern California.

By the 1990s, Dickmann had been introduced to Hawaii by his dear friend Lee Mentley, and was dividing his time between Los Angeles and Hawaii, getting involved in Hawaiian cultural arts and community organizations. After being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, Dickmann spent much of the last years of his life convalescing at Mentley's home until he returned to Los Angeles a few days before his death. Dickmann died of AIDS-related complications on November 20, 1995 in Los Angeles, and his ashes were scattered under the ancient Hawaiian temple made famous in the musical South Pacific.

Source:

Box 1, Folder 1-3, Ken Dickmann Papers and Photographs, Coll2013-063, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Acquisition information:
The collection primarily came from a series of donations by Lee Mentley on December 9, 2011, January 5, 2012, March 15, 2013, and previous donations in the 1990s. The remaining materials were retrieved by Bill Kaiser from an unknown source, date unknown.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Rachel Roque, September 2013.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Personal papers

Series 2. Writings

Series 3. Performing arts and publicity career

Series 4. Correspondence

Series 5. Ron Romovich

Series 6. Photographs

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. Access to some materials is restricted due to mold damage. Advanced notice is required for specified materials.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder #, or item name] Ken Dickmann Papers and Photographs, Coll2013-063, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
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