Guide to the Photograph Albums of West Street Beach Gay Volleyball
Processed by Audrey Pearson; machine-readable finding aid created by Audrey Pearson
Special Collections and Archives
© 2007
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Phone: (949) 824-3947
Fax: (949) 824-2472
Email: spcoll@uci.edu
URL: http://special.lib.uci.edu
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Title: Photograph albums of West Street Beach gay volleyball
Date: 1973-1975
Collection Number: MS-R110
Creator:
Minnucci, Jerry
Extent:
1.6 linear feet
(3 boxes)
Languages: The collection is in English.
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: This collection comprises three albums of photographs taken and assembled by Jerry Minnucci and given to Robert Major documenting
a group of gay volleyball players between 1973 and 1975 in Laguna Beach, California. The photographs are chiefly of men playing
volleyball on West Street Beach and socializing in other locations. None of the men are identified by name.
Important Information for Researchers
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and
their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Photograph albums of West Street Beach gay volleyball. MS-R110. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California.
Gift of Stuart Baron, 2003.
The albums were given to Stuart Baron upon the death of Robert Major.
Processed by Audrey Pearson, 2007.
West Street Beach has been a popular recreation and meeting place for Southern California gays and lesbians since 1972. The
volleyball group represented in the albums played from 1972 to circa 1988. The courts, nets, and balls were supplied by the
players, many of whom came from Los Angeles on weekends. The core group of players consisted of 30 to 50 men, many of whom
later died of AIDS.
Jerry Minnucci worked for the American Broadcasting Corporation in the publicity department. Minnucci photographed the players
and assembled the photograph albums as gifts for Robert Major.
Robert Major was the sponsor of a gay volleyball group who called themselves the "Majorettes" and played at the West Street
Beach in Laguna Beach, California. The volleyball court was later named after Major.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises three photograph albums assembled by Jerry Minnucci and given to Robert Major. The albums document
a group of gay volleyball players between 1973 and 1975 in Laguna Beach, California. The photographs are chiefly of men playing
volleyball on West Street Beach and socializing in other locations. None of the men are identified by name. The original
photographs were cut into small squares and pasted to the photograph albums by Minnucci, creating a mosaic effect.
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Over time, many of the photograph pieces became detached. During processing these were pasted back into place. The albums
were unbound and individual pages sleeved in mylar to prevent the loss of any pieces.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Volleyball -- California -- Laguna Beach -- Photographs.
Gays and sports -- California -- Laguna Beach.
Gay men -- California -- Laguna Beach -- Photographs.
Gay men -- California -- Laguna Beach -- Social life and customs -- Photographs.
Laguna Beach (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Genres and Formats of Materials
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County.
Major, Robert, former owner.
Baron, Stuart, former owner.