Description
Travel diaries of librarian and classical music
enthusiast Ralph G. Moritz (1912-1998), listing the sights he saw, the concerts
he attended, and his sexual encounters on his travels from the late 1960s to
the early 1980s. The bulk of the collection consists of letters Moritz received
from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s from Samuel Potter, aka "Octavian", Brown
(1916-1995), an expatriate American living in Rome, who in the 1970s and early
1980s ran a small bed and breakfast and male bordello, that Moritz frequented,
out of his apartment. The letters detail the trials, tribulations, and
pleasures of life in Rome, and are filled with gossip about the lives of his
"boys" and his clients, from the unnamed to the famous.
Background
Ralph G. Moritz was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on November 16, 1912. He
attended the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Rapids, in the 1930s. He
became a librarian; his last known position was Chief Catalog Librarian at
California State University, Los Angeles. His special interests were travel and
music, and from at least the 1960s onwards he made several trips a year to
music festivals and performances both in the United States and Europe. He died
in Los Angeles on June 19, 1998.
Extent
1 archive carton.
0.4 linear foot.
Restrictions
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in
writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the physical owner.
Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in
the materials. Note that ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives can grant
copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for
all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Availability
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.