For Immediate Release
October 29, 2008

Contact: Paul Boneberg, (415) 777-5455 x6

"Milk" Director Gus Van Sant and Rebekah Kim in the GLBT Archives


GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHIVES FEATURED IN MILK FILM

San Francisco, CA – Attendees at last night’s MILK movie premiere at the Castro Theater in San Francisco were treated to an uncannily accurate portrayal of San Francisco scenes from the 1970s, many of which were based on items from the archives of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society.

“They requested permission to use five of our archival photos in the movie,” said Rebekah Kim, Managing Archivist for the GLBT Historical Society. “They poured over our collection of Crawford Barton photos of the Castro from the 70’s, Anti-Briggs ephemera, photos of Harvey Milk, ephemera from Castro businesses and bars from the 70’s, and campaign material from Harvey’s run for supervisor.” Kim also confirmed that the film’s production staff was specifically interested in Harvey Milk’s chair, dining table, and suit to create replicas for the film.

The Historical Society is in the final stages of creating it’s eagerly anticipated Castro exhibit, entitled Passionate Struggle. “The community is rallying in support of our upcoming Castro exhibit and we are thrilled the exhibit’s opening will coincide with the release of the Milk film nationwide in late November,” said Boneberg.

The exhibit features artifacts, documents, images, video and audio that illustrate four key themes in GLBT history – People, Places, Politics and Pleasure. “We’ve wanted to bring some of the key items from our archives to the Castro for so long,” said Paul Boneberg, Executive Director of the GLBT Historical Society. “This is our chance to both show our community the rich, historical treasures we have at the GLBT Historical Society, and to help put Harvey Milk into a larger historic context as the film goes into wide release.”

The Castro exhibit will be accompanied by an online gallery, including some additional items that couldn’t be accommodated in the Castro street location, at www.glbthistory.org. “The online exhibit will allow people outside of San Francisco to explore some of the exciting things in our archives first-hand,” said Kim. “It’s also our chance to collect new stories, photos and video and commentary from people around the world to add to our rich collection.”

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The mission of the GLBT Historical Society is to increase public understanding, appreciation, and affirmation of the history and culture of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other sexual minority individuals and communities. For more information, call 415.777.5455 or visit www.glbthistory.org.