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Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection

National Museum of American History

Eroticizing Safer Sex (leaflet)
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
Finding aid
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

Object Details

sova.nmah.ac.1134
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a0debc26-3433-41f3-8afb-57f744056487
Creator
Kondratas, Ramunas A.
Ott, Katherine
Former owner
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Science, Medicine, and Society
Place
Lithuania
Topic
Political activists
HIV/AIDS awareness
Epidemics
Gay activists
AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention
AIDS (Disease) -- Lithuania
Provenance
Received from Ramunas Kondratas, curator, Division of Science, Medicine, and Society. 2023 Addenda received from Katherine Ott, curator, Division of Science, Medicine, and Society.
Creator
Kondratas, Ramunas A.
Ott, Katherine
See more items in
Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection
Summary
This collection consists of pamphlets, books, and a wide variety of printed matter and ephemera relating to HIV/AIDS. The collection was principally assembled by National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution curators Ramunas Kondratas and Katherine Ott.
Biographical / Historical
The HIV/AIDS crisis that began in the 1980s is a defining period of the later half of the 20th century. Once thought to be a disease affecting homosexual men only, the epidemic spread to the broader population of the United States and the world at large. The response to the epidemic came from many public and private organizations, some internationally known like the Red Cross and some at the local level such as the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. Many organizations produced a variety of pamphlets, studies, and reports dealing with all aspects of the disease. This collection consists of material collected by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Division of Science, Medicine, and Society. The bulk of the collection was assembled by curator Ramunas "Ray" Kondratas during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Extent
7.5 Cubic feet (21 boxes, 3 oversized folders)
Date
1975-2019, undated
bulk 1987-1993
Custodial History
Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Science, Medicine, and Society (now Division of Medicine and Science), 2008 and an addendum in 2023.
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.1134
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pamphlets
Leaflets
Correspondence
Advertisements
Citation
Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Arrangement
The collection is organized into six series. Series 1, Educational Material and Advertisements, 1984-2004 Subseries 1, American Red Cross, 1986-1993, undated Subseries 2, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Incorporated, 1985-1994, undated Subseries 3, New York State Health Department, 1984-1991, undated Subseries 4, Government of the District of Columbia, 1990-1996, undated Subseries 5, United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1984-1995, undated Subseries 6, Whitman-Walker Clinic, Washington, D.C., 1988-1996, undated Subseries 7, Various Organizations, 1984-2004, undated Subseries 8, Posters, Newspapers, and Ephemera, 1986-1994, undated Series 2, Reports, Commissions and Bibliographies, 1981-1999 Subseries 1, Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Epidemic, 1987-1989 Subseries 2, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1981-1999 Subseries 3, National Library of Medicine (NLM), 1986-1993 Subseries 4, Other Organizations, 1987-1988 Series 3, Ramunas Kondratas, Correspondence and Collected Materials, 1979-1994, undated Series 4, AIDS/HIV Related Press Clippings and Periodicals, 1982-2006 Series 5, Audiovisual Material, 1988 Series 6, 2023 Addendum, 1975-2019, undated Subseries 6.1, Research Files, 1975-2019, undated Subseries 6.2, Periodicals, 1983-2012, undated Subseries 6.3, Photographs and Audio-Visual, 1985-2010, undated
Processing Information
Processed by Noah Lenstra (intern) March, 2009; supervised by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archivist. The 2023 addendum processed by Geoff Kelly (intern) and Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archivist, August 2023.
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply.
Genre/Form
Pamphlets -- 20th century
Leaflets
Correspondence -- 20th century
Advertisements -- 20th century
Scope and Contents
The Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection contains a large amount of printed material representing how HIV/AIDS was depicted in popular culture, in the medical sciences, by activist groups, and by government agencies principally during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most of the collection consists of pamphlets, brochures, reports, and other educational material designed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the general public. This collection includes correspondence and conference proceedings related to the history of HIV/AIDS. The materials were collected by NMAH curator Ramunas "Ray" Kondratas, working together with the AIDS history group that was part of the American Association for the History of Medicine. A number of bibliographies and resource guides to literature related to HIV/AIDS are included in the collection. Geographically, the material is primarily from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the general United States, as well as Lithuania and London, also represented in the collection. An addendum was added to the collection in 2023. These materials were gathered during research for the National Museum of American History exhibition that opened in May 2011. The Smithsonian Institution press release from May 2011 described the three-pronged exhibit (now closed): 'HIV and AIDS Thirty Years Ago' will look at the public health, scientific and political responses in the early phase (1981-87) of the global pandemic. This showcase will be located in the museum's "Science in American Life" exhibition, which focuses on the connections among science, culture and society in American history. The display will feature photographs, magazine covers and other graphics plus equipment that Dr. Jay Levy used to isolate the virus in his lab at the University of California, San Francisco, a copy of the Surgeon General's 1986 report presenting the government's position, samples of the drugs AZT and Retrovir and public health information pamphlets from AIDS service organizations. The website will be available at americanhistory.si.edu/hivaids. In 'Archiving the History of an Epidemic: HIV and AIDS, 1985-2009,' the museum's Archives Center will show how individuals and society were affected by the epidemic through a selection of archival materials from its collections, including posters for the 1993 movie Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington and the 1989 film Longtime Companion; brochures, photographs and other popular culture materials; and quotes from oral histories of people affected by the epidemic. The museum will also display a panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt of the Names Project Foundation, honoring Roger Lyon, who died of complications from AIDS in 1984 shortly after testifying before Congress to appeal for funding to combat the growing epidemic. The quilt will be on view in the first-floor Artifacts Wall." SI Press Release, May 2011.
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. Please ask staff to remove any staples before copying.
NMAH.AC.1134
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a0debc26-3433-41f3-8afb-57f744056487
NMAH.AC.1134
ACAH
Record ID
ebl-1503510069321-1503510069342-0

  • Images 24 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Archival materials 618 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Moving Images 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Pamphlets 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Photographs 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Audio 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Books 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Children's books 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Electronic discs (dvd) 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Videocassettes 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1970s 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1980s 301 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1990s 182 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 2000s 39 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 2010s 30 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection 618 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 6: 2023 Addendum / 6.1: Research Files 162 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.7: Various Organizations 107 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 6: 2023 Addendum / 6.2: Periodicals 59 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 2: Commissions, Reports, and Bibliographies / 2.1: Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Epidemic 54 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 3: Kondratas, Ramunas, Correspondence and Collecting Materials 29 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.1: American Red Cross 26 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.2: Gay Men's Health Crisis, Incorporated 23 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.6: Whitman-Walker Clinic, Washington, D.C. 18 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.5: United States Department of Health and Human Services 16 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 6: 2023 Addendum / 6.3: Photographs and Audio-Visual 16 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 2: Commissions, Reports, and Bibliographies / 2.3: National Library of Medicine (NLM) 14 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.3: New York State Health Department 12 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.8: Posters, Newspapers, and Ephemera 12 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 2: Commissions, Reports, and Bibliographies / 2.2: Center for Disease Control (CDC) 11 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 4: HIV/AIDS Related Press Clippings 11 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.4: Government of the District of Columbia 6 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 4: HIV/AIDS Related Press Clippings / Newspapers, magazines and newsletters: 6 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 2: Commissions, Reports, and Bibliographies 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 2: Commissions, Reports, and Bibliographies / 2.4: Other Organizations 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 6: 2023 Addendum 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.7: Various Organizations / Lerner, Ethan A. Understanding AIDS. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications (children's book) 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 5: Audiovisual / A Visible Symbol: The AIDS Memorial Quilt 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Division of Science, Medicine and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection / Series 1: Educational Material and Advertisements / 1.2: Gay Men's Health Crisis, Incorporated / Eroticizing Safer Sex (leaflet) 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • AIDS (Disease) 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Diseases 2 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Communicable diseases 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Conferences 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • HIV and AIDS 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • HIV/AIDS awareness 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Health 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • CC0 618 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • No 587 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Yes 31 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • ead_component 618 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Magazine/newspaper articles, 2000-2006

  • AIDS Bibliography, 1989, May

  • AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts

  • Italy. Commissione Nazionale per la Lotta Contro L'AIDS: Che Cosa ne Sai? (pamphlet)

  • Here I Am

  • Michael S. Ascher testimony, Virus Lab, Berkeley

  • The Names Project

  • A & U

  • Donations Request (mass mailing)

  • H. Denman Scott testimony, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

  • United States Equal Employment Commission

  • Test Positive Aware Network: Positively Aware (newsletter)

  • A Visible Symbol: The AIDS Memorial Quilt

  • HIV/AIDS Education Catalog

  • Facts About AIDS (pamphlet), 1984/1987

  • Normal Magazine

  • Whitman-Walker

  • RealStory: African-American Man/RealStory: African-American Woman/RealStory: Latino (comic books)

  • The Washington Monthly

  • Los Angeles County Health Services: Nos Afecta a Todos/Como Usar el Condon (pamphlet), 1986/1990

  • Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and Resources Development: AIDS Resource Listing: Information Contacts

  • National Library of Medicine (NLM)

  • The Washington Blade

  • Herbert Nickens testimony on minority education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services


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