Bay Area 1945 – 1960

The first edition of ‘In the Life’, the official newsletter of the West Coast Lesbian Collections.

“1960 marked the first national lesbian convention. Sponsors Daughters of Bilitis mapped out the lesbian bars for the out-of-town women. Here you see a reprint, along with some additions from earlier years which no longer existed. We’ve included the original “information” comments by DOB.”

This uncommon and ephemeral celebration of LGBT history was published as the centerfold story in the first edition of “In The Life,” published in San Francisco by the West Coast Lesbian Collections in 1982. A small map of the North Beach Bars between Chinatown and Telegraph Hill notes nine different venues, including Miss Smith’s Tea Room, where the goods were ‘sold by the stick’ (implying the availability of marijuana). Accompanying testimonies from the era offer some fascinating insight into historic San Francisco lesbian experiences.