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Guide to the Allen Day Erotic Drawings, Correspondence and Other Materials
2006-46
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Table of contents
Title: Allen Day erotic drawings, correspondence and other materials
Dates: Circa 1978-1988
Collection number: 2006-46
Creator:
Day, Allen (Allen James), 1941-1987
Collection Size:
2 boxes (Approximately 3 linear feet)
Repository:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94105
Abstract: Erotic drawings in pen and ink of men in a variety of bondage and sadomasochistic settings. Drawings are by Allen Day, with
many signed under his pseudonym 'Strider'. In addition to drawings, the collection also includes profusely illustrated letters
and cards from Day to his lover of many years, Louis Bryan, detailing day-to-day aspects of their life together; photographs;
invitations, many created by Day, to parties and events; and several artists' books written and illustrated by Day.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection open for research.
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials created by the donor has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender
Historical Society.
Allen Day erotic drawings, correspondence and other materials, 2006-46, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Donated by Louis Bryan.
Allen James Day, Jr. was born on 28 July 1941 in Eastford, CT, the second son of Allen James Dan and Margaret Pittman. He
attended the Woodstock Academy and upon his graduation in 1959 moved to Boston to enroll in the Boston Art Academy. Upon graduation,
he found work as a commercial artist for a local firm, where he worked until he was drafted in 1965. Instead of Vietnam, he
was sent to Germany, where his artistic talent was utilized in making posters and signs at the headquarters. His military
service ended in 1967.
Allen came out shortly after he got to Boston, and he had a German lover almost from the beginning of his tour of duty. When
he got back to Boston, he started doing erotic drawings in earnest, and he did some advertising flyers for Titans Motorcycle
Club events in the early seventies. In the mid-seventies, his friend David Morgan talked him into doing a series of drawings
of which limited, numbered reproductions, as well as the originals, would be for sale.
In September 1977, Allen came to San Francisco on vacation and stayed with his friend Thom Gunn, whom he had met in 1973.
Allen met Louis Bryan shortly thereafter; they were lovers for the remainder of Allen?s life. In San Francisco, Allen worked
as a commercial artist for Raychem, a large chemical company.
Allen Day died of toxoplasmosis and pneumocystis pneumonia on 18 August 1987. Several friends made AIDS quilt panels in his
memory.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection comprises primarily erotic drawings in pen and ink of men in a variety of bondage and sadomasochistic settings.
Drawings are by Allen Day, with many signed under his pseudonym 'Strider'. In addition to drawings, the collection also includes
profusely illustrated letters and cards from Day to his lover, Bryan, detailing day-to-day aspects of their life together;
photographs; invitations, many created by Day, to parties and events; and several artists' books written and illustrated by
Day.
Collection is arranged by type of material.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Day, Allen (Allen James), 1941-1987
Erotic drawing, American
Gay men--Sexual behavior--Drawings
Erotica
Ink drawings
Correspondence
California--San Francisco (county)?San Francisco
An undated VHS videocassette,
The 15 Association: On Fire, produced by The 15 Association (San Francisco), was removed from this collection and added to the GLBTHS general video collection.
The donor, Louis Bryan, apparently appears in this video.