A single magazine that lead to a movement: This Bay Area archive is reclaiming trans history
VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Vallejo, California, you'll discover a unique and invaluable collection of artifacts and literature that preserves the history of the transgender community. Founded in 2017, The Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive started with one magazine.
"I just started collecting things naturally," Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive founder Ms. Bob Davis says. "The magazine called Female Mimics International came out and I bought the first copy in 1980. I just kept buying and buying and buying and accumulating things, trading other people."
As her collection grew, Davis realized that she couldn't keep this history all to herself.
"After a number of years into the 90s, I started to share my collection by writing articles in transgender community publications about trans history," Davis says.
As more time passed, Davis knew that her personal archive consisting of the 35 banker boxes needed to become public.
"I had this termite-infested detached garage. Rebuilt it. Got rid of the termites, and established the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive, the only independent transgender archive in the country," Davis says.
Opened to the public in 2018, Davis named the archive after Louis Lawrence, a local trans woman who has a tremendous impact on the formation of the contemporary trans community. Visitors can explore the extensive library by appointment only.
"There are many, many, many photographs. Photographs of female impersonators going back 100 years. There are books on transgender, posters, original artwork," Davis says.
Hosting visitors from three continents and from more than a dozen major universities, Davis dedication to trans history has garnered attention from more than academics and interested researchers. She was selected to be a community grand marshal in 2026's San Francisco Pride Parade.
"2026 has been a kind of my 15 minutes of fame," Davis says with a smile. "About a month ago, I get this email. Congratulations. You've been chosen to be one of the 100 people who are considered to be making major contributions to the LGBTQ community. It took my breath away."
For Davis, although the archive exists to preserve the past, she hopes that the history inspires future generations.
"When I was young and people were just starting to come out in the beginning, you think you're the only one," Davis says. "I want people to know when they leave here that they're not the only one. They stand on the shoulders of giants. And those giants were standing in high heels waiting to lift them up. I'd like to think that that's what I'm doing for younger people now, and that's some of the worth I find in in this project."
For more information, visit https://lltransarchive.org/.
