exhibitions
Opening May 15
Playwright Anthony Bruno at a Mapplethorpe exhibition
San Francisco 1990
Éamon McGivern: A/History
Rooted in a philosophy of portraiture that embraces empathy as a creative act, A/History presents new paintings by San Francisco–based artist Éamon McGivern. Drawing on personal memory and research in the GLBT Historical Society archives, McGivern offers portraits that reflect on the lives and legacies of queer and trans elders whose absence continues to shape contemporary life. Through painterly interpretation and archival reference, the exhibition invites reflection on memory, representation, and the multifaceted nature of human identity.
More information coming soon!
Permament Exhibitions
Queer Past Becomes Present
Main Gallery
Our long-term exhibition at the GLBT Historical Society Museum showcases photos, documents and artifacts telling the amazing stories of over a century of everyday queer life among the diverse populations of San Francisco.
The Original Rainbow Flag
Main Gallery
In 2021 the Gilbert Baker Foundation donated a recently discovered segment of one of the original 1978 eight-color rainbow flags to the GLBT Historical Society. The flag segment is now part of the Gilbert Baker Collection (2017-18), GLBT Historical Society.
Online Exhibitions
The GLBT Historical Society has curated over a dozen online exhibitions since 2019. Some are adapted from exhibitions that were on display at the museum; others are native digital shows. These are two of our most recent online exhibitions; click the button below to go to a page listing all of our online exhibitions.
Past Exhibitions
Click the button below to go to a comprehensive listing of exhibitions mounted since 2013, with images and descriptions of each show.
Exhibitions are made available solely for educational and research purposes. While many of our materials are suitable for all ages, some of our resources may contain sexually explicit content. These explicit materials are intended for adult audiences only. Permission to examine exhibitions is not authorization to copy, publish, store, record, or reproduce the materials. No license is granted to any materials, and all rights therein are reserved. If you need help accessing our exhibitions, guidance about the content of our materials, or if you wish to publish, reproduce, or otherwise make use of our materials, please contact info@glbthistory.org.
Banner image: The Dykes on Bikes, 1986; photograph by Chloe Atkins, used with permission, all rights reserved. Queer Past Becomes Present image: Photograph by Dave Earl. The Original Rainbow Flag: Photograph by Matthew Leifheit, courtesy of the Gilbert Baker Foundation.