7. Lesbian Herstory Archives

With a delightful play on words, the Lesbian Herstory Archives, on 14th Street in Brooklyn, aims to preserve lesbian history in New York City. The archives began when Julia Stanley and Joan Nestle wanted a space for lesbians apart from the Gay Academic Union, because they were frustrated that their history was mostly told through the lenses of men.

In 1974, a group of lesbians began meeting to flesh out the idea of preserving their history on their own and the first archives were housed at Joan Nestle’s apartment on 92nd Street in Manhattan where they stayed for fifteen years. The women were intent on running the endeavor on their own without government funding while still keeping everything free for interested people. In 1992, the group bought the current Lesbian Herstory Archives building in Park Slope, Brooklyn after a significant amount of fundraising. The building officially opened to the public in 1993 and contains books, event memorabilia, photos, films, diaries, and anything pertaining to the history of lesbian women and their stories.