Guide to the Women's Press/Up Press Records, 1972-1987

Processed by Becky Skaife; machine-readable finding aid created by Gabriela A. Montoya

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society

989 Market Street, Lower Level

San Francisco, California 94103

Phone: (415) 777-5455

Email: info@glbthistory.org

URL: http://www.glbthistory.org

Guide to the Women's Press/Up Press Records, 1972-1987

Accession number: 1991-23

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society

San Francisco, California

Contact Information:

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
989 Market Street, Lower Level
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone: (415) 777-5455
Email: info@glbthistory.org
URL: http://www.glbthistory.org

Processed by:: Becky Skaife
Date Completed:: April-May 1997
Encoded by:: Gabriela A. Montoya

Descriptive Summary

Title: Women's Press/Up Press Records,

Date (inclusive): 1972-1987

Accession number: 1991-23

Creator: Women's Press/Up Press

Extent: 5.1 Linear feet

Repository: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.

San Francisco, California.

Shelf location: Housed at the GLBT Historical Society

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Acquisition

The Papers (#1991-23) were donated to GLHS in 1991.

Access

The bulk of the records are open for research with student files restricted.

Publication Rights

Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California.

Audio-Visual Materials

The Papers contain photographs.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Women's Press/Up Press Records, 1991-23, The Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California.

Historical Note

The Women's Press Project

started in 1974 in the Mission district of San Francisco, as part of a nonprofit women's vocational school at the Women's Skills Center. In 1976 they became a collective, run by volunteer labor (later becoming paid staff), with the main purpose being a school to teach women the skills of the printing trade in a supportive environment. They gradually took on more printing jobs to support themselves. In 1980 they moved and became a business as well as a school, with a priority being the printing of political and feminist work. They become a union shop in 1983.

Up Press was formed out of the People's Union in 1972 in Redwood City as a collectively run movement press, printing political and feminist work. They became a women's press in 1974.

In 1984 Up Press merged with the

Women's Press Project

to form the Women's Press and continued the school as the Women's Printing School. The Women's Press closed in January 1987 due to financial difficulties and the departure of several longtime members.

Scope and Content

The Women's Press/Up Press Records (5.1 linear feet) are arranged into 6 series;

Women's Press Project

Files, Up Press Files, Women's Press Files, Printed Materials, Photographs, and Oversized Items (mainly posters) covering the years 1972 through 1987. Within the first 3 series (1.9 linear feet) folders are arranged alphabetically by title.

The

Women's Press Project

files consist of school files: applications, class evaluations, follow up letters and course syllabi ranging from 1979 to 1983. There is a jobs completed list from 1974 through 1983 that outlines printing jobs. Also included is a file on other women's presses histories and an interview with a woman on how she got in the printing trade and the sexism she encountered. The Board meeting minutes are from mostly 1979 to 1980. They include discussion on the types of work they wanted to do. The minutes from October 1983 through January 1985 include information on the transitional period to the Women's Press.

The Up Press files include a creation statement about what a movement press is, financial statements, correspondence with other presses, staff meeting minutes from part of 1974, and material concerning the non-payment for the 1982 GAIA's Guide. There is a file on the San Francisco Coop, which Up Press was a member of, whose purpose was to consolidate facilities and skills to make printing more available to people's progressive organizations. The most documented printing project of Up Press is The People's Bicentennial Quilt: A Patchwork History, which is a book of photographs and text documenting the 45 pieces portraying the struggles of common people in United States history. Files include photographs of the quilt and a copy of the book (box 6).

The Women's Press files contain an article in Tradeswomen magazine, flyers, correspondence on jobs, and a letter announcing the sale of the Women's Press and press release. The minutes aren't complete but include the discussion on closing the press.

The printed materials (3.2 linear feet, boxes 4-6) created by the presses contained in this collections have not been processed yet. They have been roughly sorted into types of materials including brochures, small booklets, newsletters, journals, programs, and books. The printed matter provides not only illustrations of the presses work but offers an excellent overview of many Bay Area feminist and movement groups of the time.

The Oversized Materials, mainly posters, have been sorted by press into 2 subjects: Feminist, Women's Cultural, Lesbian and Gay Subjects; and Movement, Cultural, Miscellaneous Subjects. The posters like the other printed works give an excellent cross section of many movement and feminist groups of the time. For many of the posters the design and execution of the printing are very well done and are fine examples of the presses work. Many of the items are done in multiple colors. The posters in the unidentified presses folder were possibly not done by one of the 3 presses in this collection.

Certain folders in these records were restricted because they concern student records for women attending the

Women's Press Project

School. Student records are restricted by federal law.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Feminism

Materials Removed from the Collection

Photographs are located in the Photo Room.

Some routine financial materials were discarded such as invoices and canceled checks.

Related Collections

Other women's businesses:

Title: Old Wives Tales Bookstore Records

Identifier/Call Number: 1995-24

Title: Oracle Books (Hayward, CA) Files

Identifier/Call Number: 1994-11

Title: Woman's Place Bookstore Records and Audiotapes

Identifier/Call Number: 1993-10

Other Press records (not lesbian or women identified):

Title: Crossing Press Records

Identifier/Call Number: 1996-29

Title: Glenn M. Turner/Guild Press-Records

Identifier/Call Number: 1991-33

Women's Press Project

Box Box 1

Applications for Admission-Accepted Students (restricted)

Applications- Graphics Class Fall 1982 (restricted)

Applications-Press Class Fall 1982 (restricted)

Applications-Press Class Spring 1983 (restricted)

Applications & Evaluations-Press Class October 1983 (restricted)

Applications for Admission- on file (restricted)

Articles of Incorporations & Bylaws 1979

Bay Area Feminist Federal Credit Union Passbook

Board of Directors & Community Advising Board 1981-1982

Board Meeting Minutes April 14, 1979 -January 20, 1981

CETA (Community Employment Training Act) Proposal & Information

Class Catalogs & Flyers 1981-1984

Class Evaluations 1981-1983 (restricted)

Class Lists (restricted)

City Planning 1980

Contract agreements

Correspondence 1977-1984

Correspondence-support 1981-1984

Course Outlines & Syllabi 1977-1981

Directory of Women's Media 1982 & 1983

Donations-Receipts & Correspondence 1978-1982

Employee Job Descriptions

Estimating Workshop

Federal Exemption Application 1979

Financial 1980, 1981

Financial 1982

Financial 1983, 1984

Flyers of Political/Women's organizations 1978-1981?

Follow up Letters, Teaching/ learning contract

Follow up Questionnaires (restricted)

Funding-Proposals & Correspondence 1975-1981

General Information Requests

Graphic Artists/Typesetters-Resumes & Flyers

Individual Women Printers

Interview for Newsletter July 1982

Job Announcements

Jobs Completed List 1974-1983

Job Descriptions, Cooperative contract

Job/Employer Contact, Agency Information 1980-1983

Job Placements Records

Lesbian Gay Freedom Day 1982

Letterhead & card

Loans 1979-1983

Loan for larger press- Support Letters & Credit Info

Mailing List

Mailing List Organizations

Media Contacts & Information

Minutes October 1983-January 15, 1985

Miscellaneous

Notice of Non Discriminatory Policy

Organization Political Contacts

Outreach Drafts

Personnel-Florence Stickney

Phone & Address List

Policy Statement, Retreat Notes

Printing & Resource Guides

Proposal Women's Printing Training Program March 9, 1984

Satirical Letters (in house)

Seller's Permits, Resale Papers, Tax Exempt Status 1978-1981

State Department of Education-Course Approval Application & Correspondence 1980-1984

State Department of Education-Course Approval 1981-1985

State Department of Education-Personnel Data Forms & Certificate 1980-1982

State Exemption Application

State Exemption forms, letters 1979-1981

State Surplus Property Application 1982

Taxes-Federal 1981, 1982

Taxes-State 1980-1983

Union Contract & Work Agreements 1983

Women's & Alternative Press Histories

Women Printer's Party-Flyer & Mailing List January 1983

Workplace Drawings

Workshop Attendees List

Volunteers contracts, Things to do

Up Press

Box Box 1

Article on Up Press-Palo Alto Times 1982

Bay Area Movement Print Shops & Typesetting

Business Information Report 1972

Collections-Hummingbird & Demeter 1983

Correspondence 1973-1984

Creation Statement 1972

Fictitious Name Filing 1975, 1977, 1980

Film 1976

Financial 1972

Financial 1977-1978

Financial Business Property Statements 1974-1977

Financial Statements 1972

Financial Statements 1975-1977, 1980-1983

Job Layout Sheets & Price List

Legal-Gaia's Guide Case 1982

Hassle with Printers Exchange 1975

Letterhead & Card

Loan Agreements & Bill Repayment 1972-1973

Nelson Industrial Dispute 1976

Partnership Dissolution 1974

Partnership Dissolution 1977

Partnership Dissolution Papers 1982-1983

People's Medical Center Camera Agreement 1974

Press & Flyers

Proposals for Money

Proposal 1972

Resumes & Applications

Samples of Printed Envelopes & Stationary

San Francisco Coop-Guidelines, Meeting Notes 1974-1975

Sole Proprietorship 1983

Seller's Permits & Applications, Business Licences 1972-1977

Box Box 2

Staff Meeting Minutes February 19, 1974-July 9, 1974

Taxes 1974-1982

Women's Press

Box Box 2

Address List

Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Stock 1984

Correspondence 1984-1987

Customer List

Financial - Equipment Needs

Financial Consultation 1985

Flyers & Women's Printing School Catalog 1985

Merging & Moving Flyers 1984

Hiring Policy

Hours Forms

Legal-Contract with Bruce Fletcher

Legal-Hart Case

Letterhead & Card

Loans 1984

Marketing

Minutes November 4, 1985-December 15, 1986

Print Shops List

Printing Orders-Sampling

Questions for Mobilization Support Network 1985-1986

Sale Letter & Fact Sheet 1986-1987

Sale Press Release 1987

Tradeswomen article 1984

Union Contract & Correspondence

Workers' Compensation

Legal Sized Documents

Women' s Press Project

Box Box 3

Budgeting Worksheet

Crackpot Letters

Financial Statements 1976-1984

Graphic Artists/Typesetters

Marilyn Kalman, People's Law School

Miscellaneous Flyers Political & Organizations

Miscellaneous Lists

Operating Forms

Presses, Print Shops, Publishing

Sales Taxes 1981-1983

Sketch of Facility

Women's Printer Forum Follow up, Notes, Et c. 1979

Up Press

Box Box 3

Lease & Correspondence 1972-1979

Movement Press

No On 6 Calling list 1978

People's Bicentennial Quilt- Miscellaneous

Women's Presses-Women Who Print Newsletter & Correspondences

Women's Press

Box Box 3

Brochure

Drawings 1986

Financial-Balance Sheet, Income Statement July 1985-April 1986

Financial- Profit Analysis 1986

Lease & Correspondence 1984-1987

Box Box 4

Brochures/Small booklets

Box Box 5

Newsletters/Journals/Programs

Box Box 6

Books

GLHS Poster Collection

Feminist/Women's Cultural/Lesbian and Gay Subjects

Box Box C

Up Press

Women's Press Project

Women's Press

Unidentified Presses

Movement/Cultural/Miscellaneous Subjects

Box Box C

Up Press

Women's Press Project

Women's Press

Unidentified Presses