In the absence of institutionalized documentation or in opposition to official histories, memory becomes a valuable historical resources, and ephemeral and personal collections of objects stand alongside the documents of the dominant culture in order to offer alternative modes of knowledge” (8).īoth drawing on and emphasizing Cvetkovich’s understanding of queer archives as ephemeral records of affect and memory, the Pittsburgh Queer History Project’s exhibition Lucky After Dark at Future Tenant Gallery, which closes June 29, uncovers the hidden history of Pittsburgh’s gay after-hours social clubs. Forged around sexuality and intimacy, and hence forms of privacy and invisibility that are both chosen and enforced, gay and lesbian cultures often leave ephemeral and unusual traces.
![pittsburgh gay bars clubs pittsburgh gay bars clubs](https://res.cloudinary.com/rppcloud/image/fetch/s--JUIYgzY8--/c_fill,e_viesus_correct,g_auto,h_600,w_900/https://s3-media1.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/YnYs21-GsS0dWVYzshR8ew/o.jpg)
#Pittsburgh gay bars clubs archive
In An Archive of Feelings, Ann Cvetkovich discusses the unique nature of archiving queer history, stating: “In the face of institutional neglect, along with erased and invisible histories, gay and lesbian archives have been formed through grassroots efforts, just as cultural and political movements have demanded attention to other suppressed and traumatic histories, ranging from the Holocaust, to labor and civil rights activism, to slavery and genocide.
![pittsburgh gay bars clubs pittsburgh gay bars clubs](https://img1.10bestmedia.com/Images/Photos/319585/p-SouthernNights_55_660x440.jpg)
Lucky (all images courtesy Pittsburgh Queer History Project)