Ryan White trading card

Object Details

Names: White, Ryan, 1971-1990
Collection Collector: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Collection Donor: Becker, John M.; Gay Officers Action League. GOAL; Heritage of Pride (HOP)
Collection Creator: Hirsch, Leonard; Guest, Barbara; Barna, Joseph T.; Guest, Michael E.
Collection Donor: Rohrbaugh, Richard
Collection Creator: Cruse, Howard, 1944-2019
Collection Donor: Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA)

See more items in: Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection; Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection / Series 3: Community Life / 3.6: HIV and AIDS, Ephemera and Photographs / AIDS Awareness: The Fight Against AIDS, trading cards

Biographical / Historical: One of those personalities depicted is Ryan White, a young man with hemophilia. Born in Kokomo, Indiana in 1971, White caught HIV through contaminated blood products. He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1985. He became a vocal and visible symbol of AIDS. Through his illness he became friends with Elton John and Michael Jackson, among others. He died of AIDS in 1990. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990 was named for him. On verso: "He was taunted and ostracized at school and was finally expelled. Neighbors pelted the Whites' car, and a bullet was fired into their home. Fleeing Kokomo, the family moved to nearby Cicero, where they were welcomed, and Ryan attended school for the rest of his short life."

Collection Citation: Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents: Color portrait of Ryan White on trading card, from a series of AIDS Awareness cards.

Collection Restrictions: The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.