The Desk Set presents: QUE(E)RY

Here are some pictures I took on a recent visit to the Leather Archives and Museum in North Chicago. Rick Storer, the executive director and head archivist was most gracious and helpful.

Storer did his MSLIS at Dominican University, and as it turns out, a lot of the archives volunteers are student librarians from the nearby Catholic university who are at first unfamiliar with the leather community.

As of 2009, the Leather Archives & Museum has been placed in trust as a beneficiary of the annual event, International Mr. Leather. This past year, history was made when Tyler McCormick, a female-to-male transgender man who uses a wheelchair, won the competition above 50 peers. See his moving acceptance speech here.

-Lydia Willoughby, guest tumblr for que(e)ry party