Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphial, Pa.)

Abstract

Arnold H. Rosenberg (July 12, 1935-September 12, 2007) was an openly gay baker, entrepreneur, attorney, and administrator. In these letters addressed to his daughter Amy Rosenberg, Arnold Rosenberg describes his attempts to grow his small pastry business, his relationship with Joel Prybutok and Joel's daughter Sonya, and his everyday life as a wealthy resident of Center City, Philadelphia, and later San Francisco, going to dinners and enjoying films and museum trips.

Abstract Jack Van Alstyne, born ca. 1938, known to his gay friends as "Cheezit," was the son of Howard C. Van Alstyne and Marion G. Fox Van Alstyne. He lived in Camden, NJ for much of his life. His collection includes a scrapbook of Philadelphia and New Jersey gay life of the 1960s through 1980s; grouping of ca. 75 photographs of Philadelphia and New Jersey drag queens and gay men, owned by John Brown, known as Marilyn; photographs taken by Alstyne of gay men in Rittenhouse Square, summer of 1953;...

Abstract

This collection consists of a single item: an 8-page handwritten memoir by John Brown, who also went by Sammy as well as by the drag name Marilyn. It tells the story of how Brown was introduced to gay life in Philadelphia, how he and friend Jack Van Alstyne met queens in Rittenhouse Square in 1953, and how he took on the drag name Marilyn. It also has details about Brown serving time in juvenile detention in 1954.