A segment from one of the two original rainbow flags created for San Francisco Gay Freedom Day 1978, donated to the GLBT Historical Society in April 2021; photograph by Matthew Leifheit, courtesy of the Gilbert Baker Foundation.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
From books and movies to museum exhibitions and art installations, we are continually interacting with objects from history. Many people are unfamiliar with the behind-the-scenes work that takes place to authenticate, contextualize and present a single object for display, work that can take months or even years. In this event, a panel of experts will focus on the original 1978 rainbow flag, a fragment of which was recently discovered and is now on display at the GLBT Historical Society Museum. Panelists will dive into the segment’s origins and long journey home, providing a look behind the curtain and under the rainbow in a program that considers how history is made, from discovery to display. The event will include a brief Q&A; guests are encouraged to submit questions in advance. Send questions to info@glbthistory.org with “Under the Rainbow event” in the subject line.
SPEAKERS
James (Jim) J. Ferrigan III (he/him/his) first became interested in flags as a Cub Scout growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, after his father, a purchasing agent for the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, brought home some flags salvaged from a World War II-era ship being scrapped. In the 1970s he became a salesman with the Paramount Flag Company in San Francisco and was retail manager of its outlet on Polk Street, the Flag Store. He worked closely with the store’s window dresser, Gilbert Baker, and together they promulgated and promoted the rainbow flag for a decade and worked on many other displays. In the 1990s, Jim opened another flag store in Sonoma and played a pivotal role in the parade and celebrations organized for the sesquicentennial of the California state flag (the Bear Flag) in 1996. He is now a consulting vexillologist for museums, collectors, auction houses and governments and curates the largest private flag collection in the United States. He is the former vice president of the North American Vexillological Association and currently serves as its treasurer.
Eric Gonzaba (he/him/his) is an assistant professor of American Studies at California State University, Fullerton where he teaches courses on the history of race and sexuality in America. He received his Ph.D. in American history at George Mason University in 2019. His work has previously been supported by grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Point Foundation, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Professor Gonzaba currently serves as co-chair of the Committee on LGBT History.
Melissa Leventon (she/her/hers), a founding partner of Curatrix Group museum consultants and appraisers, is a specialist in European and American costume and textiles. Formerly curator-in-charge of textiles at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Melissa has also curated exhibitions involving media ranging from contemporary glass to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Local exhibitions include Somethin’s Happening Here: Bay Area Rock ’n’ Roll 1963–1973 at the Museum of Performance & Design and Artwear: Fashion and Anti-fashion at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. She has contributed to many exhibition catalogues and journals and has also written four books. The latest, the exhibition catalogue Fit for a Queen: Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s Creations by Balmain, was published in August 2016.
Andrew Shaffer (moderator, he/him/his) directs the GLBT Historical Society’s outreach, media and fundraising programs. Prior to joining the society, he led development efforts with multiple local nonprofits including the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and the California Preservation Foundation. He is also trained as a historian, and his academic background includes graduate work at the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he helped to build that city’s first permanent LGBTQ archives.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
This event will take place online. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a link and instructions on how to join.
ADMISSION
Free | $5 suggested donation
Tickets are available online here: https://bit.ly/3zIKxd6
ASL INTERPRETATION
ASL interpretation provided upon request. Please write at least three days in advance of event to leigh@glbthistory.org.
JOIN THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Become a member of the GLBT Historical Society for free museum and program admission, discounts in the museum shop and other perks: http://www.glbthistory.org/memberships.