American Women: Their Use and Abuse, by Lyn Wells (Boston, MA; New England Free Press), 1969 - 1969

This collection is made up of three series.

The first series (I) is made up of LGBT-related magazines and chapbooks, as well as a fact sheet on wages from the US Department of Labor and a sexuality survey titled “Lesbian Questionnaire,” produced from 1969 through 1991. These were displayed at Vox Populi Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the exhibit titled "The Philadelphia Queer Elders Project" from November to December, 2019. The magazines and chapbooks are national in origin, with a portion focusing on and produced in Vermont. Most of the items were produced by small presses or self-published. The magazines and chapbooks have multiple authors and contributors. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title.

The second series (II) includes the preserved Instagram account "@BoxOfVintageGayZines" which the collection spawned. The Instagram is preserved via Webrecorder and is available to browse.

The third series (III) includes materials from the exhibit, including the exhibit guide and digital photos taken at the opening of the exhibit, which took place on November 3, 2019. The exhibit guide is a PDF file which displays the layout of the exhibit, gives citations for the materials displayed, and gives thanks to affiliates of the project. Photos of the exhibit opening are archived on Dropbox.

The periodicals in this collection focus primarily on lesbianism, feminism, the women's liberation movement, and the gay liberation movement, as well as a particular focus on the lesbian separatist movement. Topics within the periodicals also include gay men, socialism, and Vermont, but to a lesser extent. Formats found within this collection include Poetry, Essays, Magazines, Chapbooks, and Periodicals.

Note: Issue 17 of “Country Women” Magazine was part of the original collection. It was kept by the donor and not included in the donation. Copies of "Country Women" can be found in the Archives' Periodical collection.