$100,000 for Henry's 100th Birthday

One of Henry Faulkner’s most famous quips was “save the seeds, children. Save the seeds.” Henry knew that a small investment now can have an immense impact on the future. As we celebrate Henry’s centennial, we want to honor his legacy by investing in the Faulkner Morgan Archive’s mission—one close to Henry’s heart—of sharing Kentucky’s LGBTQ story.

In 2024, Faulkner Morgan Archive is launching a year-long campaign, $100,000 for Henry’s 100th birthday. This special campaign will allow Faulkner Morgan Archive to achieve two vital goals: increase its impact now and look to our long-term sustainability.

We have already raised $30,000 thanks to the generosity of our campaign's seed donors:

💚 Jim Gray and Eric Orr
💚 Stephen Reily and Emily Bingham
💚 Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown

What will your Gift do?

$50,000 to invest in the now
Your gift to $100k for Henry’s 100th will provide FMA with much needed capital improvements to our archival space. Funds will be used to purchase archive-quality shelving for our growing collections, equipment to process collections and share them with researchers, and new technology to update our older computer system.

$50,000 to invest in the future
Your gift to $100k for Henry’s 100th will also create an endowment with the Blue Grass Community Foundation. 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of our organization, proving we are in this for the long haul, and we will be here fulfilling our mission for decades to come. Your gift to start our endowment provides long-term financial security and allows us to take on new challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise.

How you can help!

Join the Faulkner Society (Pledge $100 a month for 12 months)
We are introducing the new Faulkner Society! Make a pledge of at least $100 a month for at least a year to join this exciting new group of supporters. Faulkner Society Members will receive exclusive benefits and unique access to Faulkner Morgan Archive throughout the year.

- Invitations to Faulkner Society Member-only events
- Receive special gifts and materials relating to items from our collections.
- Hear about exclusive updates on the intimate runnings of Faulkner Morgan Archive.
- And more!

Or Make a One-time Gift
Any donation to $100k for Henry’s 100th is appreciated! Your generosity, best of all, supports a well-established and trusted nonprofit partner dedicated to saving and sharing our history!

Giving is easy

Give Online - www.faulknermorgan.org/donate
Give By Mail - 519 Chinoe Rd, Lexington, KY 40502

Here, Black, Femme, & Queer

In our work of telling Kentucky’s LGBTQ history, it is important to recognize the immense impact of the Black, queer community. Highlighting their lives and their stories, Here, Black, Femme, & Queer: Images, stories, and history of Black LGBTQ+ Kentuckians was created as a way to honor, remember, and celebrate their legacies.

This exhibition of images shines a light on the lives and legacies of Black, femme, & queer people from right here in Kentucky. From the fiery performances of Toni LaFlame to the downtown strolls of Sweet Evening Breeze, these individuals have played a crucial role in making Lexington a safer space for the LGBTQ+ community. Most of the images on display are from the Faulkner Morgan Archive, but some of these images were also collected through Facebook posts and messages from members of Lexington’s queer community. Below are brief summaries of each individual, but you can find the entire exhibition of images and stories at itsjoshporter.com/here-black-femme-and-queer.

Sweet Evening Breeze

Born in the late 1800s, to parents who had been enslaved, Sweets lived in a racially segregated city where homosexual acts were illegal throughout her entire lifetime. Yet she refused to be anything but herself, daring to live openly and honestly. Sweet Evening Breeze was building a Lexington that looked more like her than her contemporaries could have ever imagined, forging a path followed by every LGBTQ person who has since strolled through Kentucky. Click here to read more.

Leigh Angelique

Leigh Angelique was from the house of Sweet Evening Breeze. On April 8th, 1970, a Wednesday night, Lexington Police raided what is now the Bar Complex on East Main Street. The police arrested four queens, including 22-year-old Garland Hanley, better known as Leigh Angelique. After Leigh was booked for the crime of "wearing a disguise," she sought refuge at the home of Sweet Evening Breeze. Enraged by the injustice, Sweets called the judge assigned to sentence Leigh. Sweets told the judge it was "in his best interest to drop the charges." The judge complied. In the words of Leigh, "I don’t know what Sweets had on the people in this town, but she had something.”

Toni LaFlame

Tony or Toni LaFlame was one of Kentucky’s most avant garde performers. While often called a “drag queen,” LaFlame’s performances were gender bending spectaculars that went far beyond the typical lip syncs of the period. Her namesake performance was her famous firedance, dazzling crowds with the rhythmic use of torches that she held (and extinguished!) in several interesting orifices. 

Crystal Blue

As a trans woman who began performing drag later in life, “Miss Blue,” as she was often affectionately called, was well-known for her performances at what is now The Bar Complex here in Lexington. She also performed at many strip clubs in the area.

She is also rumored to have coined the phrase “don’t make me use my Elly biscuit” in reference to the brick she carried in her purse. The name came from The Beverly Hillbillies character Elly Mae Clampett who made biscuits that were as hard as a rock.

Charles Dansby
(Miss Joyce)

Charles, perhaps better known as Miss Joyce, was Lexington raised, and lived most of his life in the house that his great-grandfather built (and where Charles was born) in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Spiegel Heights. Charles’ drag career spanned decades, and when he passed in February 2020, he was the last known “drag daughter” of Sweet Evening Breeze, whom he had known since childhood. Charles met Sweet Evening Breeze at the Walgreen's lunch counter on a Saturday trip downtown with his mother.

Caldonia

Marie “Caldonia” Reynolds was a household name in Cincinnati, OH. Starting as early as the 1950s, Caldonia would arrive in Lexington via the Short Street bus station, tap dancing through the pool halls and bars of long-gone Water Street. Late in her life, when this photograph was taken, a trans woman employed Caldonia to tap dance in between numbers at her Lexington strip club. 

It was rumored–mostly by Caldonia herself–that the song “Caldonia,” made famous by B.B. King was written for this tap-dancing, gender-bending Kentucky legend.

Rayna Starr

Since starting to perform in drag in the early 90s, Rayna has become a Lexington staple. Rayna Starr is the drag persona of Lexington native Ben Salyers. From the 1990s to the early 2010s, you could find her performing on stage at The Bar Complex alongside queens like Crystal Blue, Jerrica James, Ashley Kruiz, Rhonda K. Steele, Brandi Michaels, and Chelsea Pearl. She was part of “The Gilded Cage Divas” for over 25 years! Rayna can still be found performing in shows all around Lexington and was recently recognized with the Stonewall Honors Award from Kentucky Black Pride.

Dee Dee

Pictured left, alongside Lexington artist Bob Morgan, Dee Dee and her mother moved to Lexington for what was, at the time, a relatively secretive gender reassignment surgery program at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Bob Morgan describes how, “during the time period we met Deedee, there were always 10 or 15 people in town taking up residence to go through [the program] and it was all done sort of hush hush. So occasionally one of these folks or two of these folks would find their way to the bar and come out on weekends and they were some of the first true transgender people that most of us met.” Dee Dee loved The Living Room and frequented the establishment often with her mother. Her mother also made all of Dee Dee’s outfits, one of which you can see here.

Unknown Femme Individual

Sometimes we don’t know the whole story. Sometimes, we only have fragmentary physical evidence of the lives lived by queer Kentuckians. This person’s photograph was given to the archive alongside some of our most famous images of Sweet Evening Breeze, but who is this? They are wearing Sweets’ veil, and this image was taken in the living room of Sweets’ home around 1955, but that’s all we know. While we don’t know their name, we are reminded that we are never alone.

Below are installation images of the exhibition at the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library at the University of Kentucky.

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This project is continuing to expand, so if you have any images, stories, or history that you would like to share, please reach out! Send any information you have on Black, femme, & queer Kentuckians to josh@itsjoshporter.com.

Images Of An Icon: Photographs of Marsha P. Johnson

The Faulkner Morgan Archive is excited to unveil these newly acquired, never-before-seen photographs of queer legend Marsha P. Johnson from the estate of renowned Kentucky-born photographer Leee Black Childers.

Marsha P. Johnson at the NYC Pride March. July 1982, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Marsha P. Johnson. July 1984, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Marsha P. Johnson is one of the most well known figures in LGTBQ history. The “P” in Johnson’s name stood for “pay it no mind,” which often acted as her motto. She especially gained much of her notoriety after the Stonewall Riots of 1969, but her activism did not stop there. Throughout her life, Johnson was a fixture of the New York City queer scene. She was constantly helping her community, especially trans homeless youth.

In 1970, Johnson and her close friend Sylvia Rivera founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). Through this organization, they worked to support, and house, LGTBQ people who were often living on the streets and dependent on sex work.

On July 6, 1992, Johnson’s body was found floating in the Hudson River near the West Side Piers that she frequented. While the police declared her death a suicide, many see her death as another moment of violence against the LGBTQ community. Now, even decades after Johnson’s devastating death, her legacy continues to impact queer communities. In our work, we desire to follow her light, her passion, and her drive to help those around her.

Marsha P. Johnson. Date unknown, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Marsha P. Johnson. July 1984, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Marsha P. Johnson. Date unknown, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

These photos of Marsha P. Johnson were found in Childers’ estate, located in folders labeled “drag queens.” While some were possibly taken by his assistant, these images of Johnson are never-before-seen snapshots of a LGTBQ icon. We can see, in these images, central landmarks of NYC’s queer landscape such as Christopher street (as seen on some trash cans) as well as Manhattan’s West Side Piers (where Johnson is smoking a cigarette).

Marsha P. Johnson at 159 Christopher Street. November 1979, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Marsha P. Johnson on the West Side Piers in Manhattan. Date unknown, from the estate of Leee Black Childers. Collection of Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Born in 1945 in Jefferson County, KY, Leee Black Childers attended Kentucky Southern College before moving first to San Francisco, and then to New York City in 1967. Known for his photographs of drag queens, punk stars, and other celebrities, Childers quickly began to make a name for himself in the big city. After meeting Andy Warhol during his time in NYC, he joined “The Factory” and later became the stage manager and official photographer for Warhol’s Pork in 1971.

Leee Black Childers and Jayne County. circa 1988. Image from Jayne County’s Instagram account.

Childers even lived, at one point, with Jayne County, another queer southerner who ended up right in the heart of the New York City queer punk scene. County even had a recent exhibition of her work here in Lexington at Institute 193.

Childers photographed many well-known personalities such as Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Divine, Patti Smith, and fellow photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. By the time of his death in 2014, Childers was a household name in this counterculture world of punk music and drag queens. Thus, it is no surprise that he would cross paths with Marsha P. Johnson.

The life of Leee Black Childers and these photos of Marsha P. Johnson illustrate just one of many connections between Kentucky’s queer community and urban centers. We are grateful to have these photographs in our collection and to be able and tell the stories of LGBTQ Kentuckians like Childers and queer trailblazers like Johnson.

These images were on display at Crossings Lexington from October 16 to November 30, 2022.

Installation image, Marsha P. Johnson photographs printed on vinyl banners, Crossings Lexington, October 2022.

These images are currently on display at the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library at the University of Kentucky until May 2023.

Installation image, Marsha P. Johnson photographs printed on vinyl banners, Lucille Little Fine Arts Library, December 2022.

Shea Metcalf, Andy Warhol, and a Pair of Underwear

Image of Shea Metcalf and boyfriend Drew Holbrook, 1980s, Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive.

This pair of underwear, signed by Andy Warhol, has become a signature artifact of the Faulkner Morgan Archive. It made an appearance at the University of Kentucky Art Museum's Studio 54 Party back in 2017 and was an absolute show stopper. They were made by Warhol for a young, handsome gay man from Central Kentucky named Shea Metcalf, who moved to New York City in the 1970s. Shea was born Nov. 24, 1960 and grew up in Lancaster, KY. Shea and his boyfriend Drew Holbrook lived together in NYC as Shea worked on his modeling career. Through his work, he soon became friends with legendary artists such as Paul Cadmus, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and of course Andy Warhol.

Image of Shea Metcalf , Drew Holbrook, and George Hoeltzel, 1980s, Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive.

The loose, doodle-like style of Warhol’s drawings on the underwear were meant as a way of playfully mocking Keith Haring, who was at the height of his career. Warhol also photographed Shea with some of the images now being sold at Christie’s for over $12,000. In these photographs, he is sometimes referred to simply as “male model,” but his features make his identity clear.

Shea Metcalf, 1985, Andy Warhol, Black and White Print, Collection of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 

Unidentified Male, 1983, Andy Warhol, Black and White Print, Collection of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 

Shea sadly passed on May 31, 1991 due to AIDS complications, preceded by his boyfriend Drew in 1990, and was later buried in his hometown of Lancaster, KY. Before his death, he made a trip back to Kentucky and gave his Warhol-related items to friends in Lexington. Along with the underwear, he also brought back a signed set of Campbell Soup Cans that were drunkenly opened and eaten not shortly after. This piece not only represents the national and international connections of Kentucky's queer community, but is also a testament to all that was lost in the AIDS crisis. Now, as part of the Faulkner Morgan Archive, this underwear serves as a celebration of Shea Metcalf’s powerful legacy. We are honored to act as bearers of Shea’s story.

Shea’s Memorial Service handout, 1991, Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive.

The Country Returns

On June 17th, 2021 the sun shined bright and strong. After a year of confinement, and months of the vaccination process, everyone was ready to get out. 

There was something else coming out that day, or rather, reemerging: The Country. To those unfamiliar, The Country was a long-gone but much beloved lesbian bar nestled near the heart of Lexington on Lane Allen Road. It existed from 1978 and into the early 80s. 

The Country reunion was a long time coming. Jonathan Coleman, Ph.D. co-founder and executive director of the Faulkner-Morgan Archive, learned about The Country’s existence through an interview with one of the original owners, Ellen Stewart. This was back in 2016.

“The Country came up again and again as I spoke to other LGBTQ Kentuckians,” he said. “It was pretty clear that we [the archives] had a massive dearth in stories from lesbian-identified Kentuckians. FMA wanted to correct that. One way of doing so was crafting this year-long intensive of collecting stories of lesbian women centered around The Country.”

So, it began. Coleman appointed Adriana Sisko project director. Sisko was responsible for reaching out to women who used to go to The Country and conducting interviews. The importance of the interview project and subsequent event were clear to both Coleman and Sisko. 

“Lesbian history is more important than ever as the number of lesbian bars in the United States dwindles to a mere 21 establishments,” Sisko said. “There’s a significant archival gap when it comes to documentation of women’s queer communities and establishments, and The Country oral history project hopes to contribute to even out that disparity.” 

In the early 80s, The Country’s ownership was passed on and the establishment was renamed The Hidden Door. After the name change, the bar started letting in more male patrons. The original patrons of The Country still frequented The Hidden Door, but attendance from those originals dwindled as time went on. 

Lexington Diner, owned by Karin West, is located near the premises of The Country. She graciously opened the space for The Country to come back for a short time.

As five o’clock rolled around, more and more patrons of The Country arrived. Soon, the front patio of Lexington Diner was teeming with those who came to reminisce and reconnect.

It was a cacophony of laughter, shouts of “oh my god, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!” The crowd was glowing with wide smiles and beer bottles flashing in the sun. Disco music played over the speakers, but this was drowned out by good conversation. 

“There was a series of repeating moments,” Coleman recalled. “Women who had not seen each other in years, sometimes 40 years, [were] reconnecting, sharing stories, and revisiting memories. I loved how excited everyone was to be celebrating that space.” 

The Country was only supposed to come back for one night, but Coleman and Sisko both said that there was interest in future events. As for the oral history project, Sisko says that there are definitely further plans for that project and the legacy of The Country. 

As the sun set and the air (finally) cooled, a few of the original patrons remained, still talking with old friends. Though the bar no longer exists, one thing is certain: The Country had its day again, at last.

Welcome home, Edward!

Photo: Edward Melcarth with his painting, “The Last Supper,” 1960s. Forbes Collection, Faulkner Morgan Archive.

Lexington, KY- Faulkner Morgan Archive, Inc., announces a substantial gift from The Forbes Collections. Over 100 works of art, along with photographs and ephemera, by Kentucky-born painter and sculptor Edward Melcarth were gifted to the archive earlier this month. 

“Malcolm Forbes was an enthusiastic collector and friend of Ed Melcarth,” writes his son, Christopher Forbes. “He began acquiring Melcarth’s work in the early 1960s and after the artist’s death in 1973, he purchased the bulk of his estate. My siblings and I all share our father’s admiration for Ed’s work. We know that Pop would be pleased that through this gift to the Faulkner Morgan Archive a large corpus of Melcarth’s work will be available for generations of enthusiasts and scholars to come.” 

“It’s thrilling, really,” said Faulkner Morgan Archive President, Jonathan Coleman, Ph.D. “This generous gift from The Forbes Collections, along with previously acquired pieces, makes the Faulkner Morgan Archive the largest repository of works by Edward Melcarth—an important, understudied artist with deep ties to Kentucky.” 

Coleman, a historian, stumbled across Melcarth while researching Kentucky artist Henry Faulkner, the archive’s namesake. “Faulkner mentions Melcarth, his roommate in New York, in a number of letters. As I tracked down Melcarth, I was blown away by his obvious talent, his wide-ranging influence, and his captivating biography. Here is a Kentuckian with a story to tell.” 

Melcarth was born Edward Epstein to a wealthy Jewish family in Louisville, Kentucky in 1914. Educated at Harvard and in Paris, Melcarth’s work was acquired by numerous museums and private collectors, including Peggy Guggenheim, Gore Vidal, and Tennessee Williams. Noted collectors Malcolm Forbes and his son, Christopher Forbes, amassed a large collection of Melcarth’s work. 

An open communist and homosexual, Melcarth was usually at odds with his time, and his art was no exception. “Melcarth railed against the popularity of abstract expressionism, creating his own niche as a figurative painter working on a monumental scale. Melcarth’s typical subject matter was contemporary working-class men depicted in a heroic style, an influence of his communist politics and sexuality,” Coleman said. “This gift comes at an opportune time. Scholars are only now beginning to seriously examine the incredible realists who were working in the midcentury, and Melcarth was one of the best.” 

In 2018, The Forbes Collections sponsored two Melcarth exhibits in Kentucky through a partnership with the Faulkner Morgan Archive. The shows at University of Kentucky Art Museum and Institute 193 were the first Melcarth exhibits in Kentucky since his one-man show at The Speed Art Museum in the early 1950s. 

“The two shows last year were incredibly well received, attracting art historians from New York and curators from Boston. Having a large body of Melcarth’s work available for study will help bring about a greater understanding and appreciation for his immense talent. We’re honored the Forbes have entrusted us with such a gift.” 

Divine plays Lexington

One of our favorite new artifacts! This ticket to see Divine perform at Lexington's Cafe LMNOP in 1986 was given to us by its original owner during Trippin' Thru The Dew, our October fundraiser. Divine played Lexington several times in the 1980s while at the height of her fame. Mostly eschewing small cities, Divine was lured to Lexington by its reputation for queer decadence and her friendship with club manager, Bradley Picklesimer.

History in the News: FMA and the Kentucky Historical Society

The Kentucky Historical Society was on hand for June’s marker dedication, and they made this great video of the event! Hear Kentuckians describe why the markers are such an important step towards an inclusive Kentucky history.