Queer Artefacts
“By knowing what I like and trusting my instincts I am able to choose objects, recognising their commonalities and identifying the threads of connection. ”
Now gallery in the Museum of Croydon
A spark of recognition
My project began at the Museum of Croydon where I was eager to immerse myself in artefacts and social history. The collection holds a highly diverse range of items with anything from letters, artworks, photographs to oral histories - but where to begin?
I started with objects because I am curious about people and feel drawn to possessions; who was the owner and what kind of life did they lead?
There are many directions I could have followed, so it was important to refine my selection. I took my time wandering through the galleries, looking for colours, shapes, textures and even presentation methods, saving the facts and historical information for later. I let the aesthetics of the objects guide me because I didn’t want to over think my selection, and instead let the artefacts speak for themselves. When I found the right object, I got a feeling in my stomach; a curiosity, a spark of recognition and I paused to ask myself a series of questions:
What do I like about this object? Why does it stand out to me? What is my connection?
By asking questions about the things that appeal to us, we learn to become more self-aware of our likes and dislikes and start to develop a unique personal taste. By knowing what I like and trusting my instincts I am able to choose objects, recognising their commonalities and identifying the threads of connection. I used this exercise walking through the Now gallery to the Then gallery, getting lost in objects, textiles and sculptures tracing back to 1800, and found myself drawn to three objects in particular:
These objects resonated strongly with me; a handbag and long lace gloves owned by a man who called himself ‘Sister’, an assortment of badges displaying messages and political ideology to a language of symbols like the inverted triangle stretched across the front of a 1993 events pamphlet. As a queer person myself, these objects were alive with meaning, a slice of queerness displayed in public for all to see. They weren’t random bits of junk or jumble, they were artefacts, ‘Queer Artefacts’.
“...these objects were alive with meaning, a slice of queerness displayed in public for all to see. They weren’t random bits of junk or jumble, they were artefacts, ‘Queer Artefacts’. ”
Challenging Section 28
The items I selected are a part of the LGBT History Trail, launched in 2010 for LGBT History Month. It charts Britain’s changing attitudes towards the LGBT+ movement. The research for this collection was first gathered in the 90’s and comprised of oral history recordings, donated objects and photos, telling stories of Croydon’s Lesbian and Gay people in their own words. The collection was first exhibited in the Clocktower’s Lifetimes gallery as a public exhibition called ‘Celebrate’ in 2001.
The exhibition had been potentially risky due to the looming presence of Section 28. Introduced in 1988, the act stated that local authorities could not “intentionally promote homosexuality", though it was never made clear what constituted ‘promotion’. The message behind the act certainly made homosexuality a controversial subject, and it was necessary for the team behind ‘Celebrate’ to get permission and approval from all elected Croydon Councillors.
There was an attempt to block the exhibition as it was believed to contravene Section 28. The case was argued that Section 28 had never been enforced and was considered a discriminatory piece of legislation. The show was successfully launched without being censored, and was regarded as a victory for others who supported the repeal of the outdated act.
“The very purpose of these exhibitions was to celebrate the achievement of the gay and lesbian contributors and to make them visible.”
Twenty years after the museum first displayed its LGBT+ collection, I found myself stood in front of ‘Ray’s Handbag’, transfixed by the plain black bag. The caption tells me that Ray was a Sister at The Order Perpetual Indulgence, who protested for gay rights in the 1990’s. I needed to learn more…
LGBT History Trail leaflet, Museum of Croydon, 2011