Bee Ottinger collection of Lesbian House photographic negatives

Collection

Identifier: C-71

Scope and Contents

The photographs in this collection are of the women at the Los Angeles Gay Community Service Center's (GCSC) "Lesbian House" in Los Angeles between 1972 and 1973. These photographs were taken by Bee Ottinger for her thesis project at the California Institute of the Arts, and were also used by Ottinger in a San Francisco exhibit in 1973. Includes negatives for photographs taken using 35, 46, and 60 mm film. Also included in the collection is an interview with Ottinger from 2010.

Dates

Creation: 1972-1973

Creator

Ottinger, Bee, '70 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish materials, contact: Special Collections & Archives Middlebury College Phone: (802) 443-2387 Email: specialcollections@middlebury.edu

Biographical / Historical

Barbara "Bee" Ottinger graduated from Middlebury College in 1970. She has taught as a visiting professor at Middlebury College, worked as an editor of music videos and commercials, and in 2010, founded Snapcuts, which allows users to combine video clips and text, and share custom messages via email, social media, and text messaging. The photographs in this collection of the Los Angeles Lesbian House were taken between 1972 and 1973 by Ottinger for her thesis project at the California Institute of the Arts. The Lesbian House was affiliated with the Los Angeles Gay Community Service Center, and was established in 1972 to provide a place for lesbians, who had been rejected by their families, to stay. The house was managed by Yolanda Retter (who Ottinger sites as her mentor) as a home for lesbians regardless of class, race, religion, or background. Also included in the collection is an interview with Ottinger from 2010.

Extent

1 Box (Includes photographic negatives and one DVD)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection maintains the arrangement scheme used by the photographer, and is divided by series to reflect how Ottinger organized her work.

Folder 1: Introductory materials (notes on the collection and DVD containing 2010 interview with Ottinger.

Series I: Numbered photographs. Folder 2: Photograph sleeves 001-055, Folder 3: Photograph sleeves 056-110, Folder 4: Photograph sleeves 111-166, Folder 5: Photograph sleeves 167-210

Series II: Unnumbered photographs. Folder 6: Unnumbered photographs 01-25

Series III: Jason. Folder 7: Jason photo sleeves 01-45

Series IV: GC. Folder 8: GC photo sleeves 01-12