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Southern Voice photographs

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.VIS415

Scope and Contents

This collection contains images used for stories published by Southern Voice newspaper. Images include businesses, individuals, organizations, demonstrations and events, and photographs related to political issues concerning the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender communities. Of particular note are demonstrations associated with ACT UP and the Cobb Citizens Coalition, as well as images of the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade and Atlanta Black Pride. The collection also contains images related to anti-LGBTQ+ news coverage, including individuals, demonstrations, and court cases. All images were taken in Atlanta, Georgia, unless otherwise noted.

Dates

  • approximately 1968-2010, bulk dates approximately 1990-2010

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Biographical / Historical

Launched as an independent publication in Atlanta, Georgia, by Christina Cash in 1988, Southern Voice was a weekly newspaper addressing national and local concerns of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender communities. Commonly known as "SoVo," the newspaper claimed over 100,000 readers and at its peak employed a staff of thirty-five. The newspaper was a member of the National Gay Newspapers Guild. In 1997, Washington, D.C.-based Window Media, LLC, a national publisher of gay-oriented news publications, purchased Southern Voice. After twenty-one years of operation, Southern Voice shut down in November 2009 when Window Media closed due to financial troubles. The United States Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta auctioned off the assets of Southern Voice in February 2010. In March 2010, founder Christina Cash and editor Laura Douglas-Brown, who wrote and edited under the by-line Laura Brown, launched The Georgia Voice, a bi-weekly newspaper with online updates posted daily as a replacement publication.

Extent

7,090 image(s) (4,301 color photographic prints, 1,563 color negatives, 897 black and white photographic prints, 323 black and white negatives, three color photocopies, three color photographic prints with attached press releases, three drawings, two contact sheets, and two black and white photocopies)

Language

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is divided into three series: Series I: Businesses and organizations; Series II: Events and geographic locations; and Series III: People. The collection is arranged alphabetically within each series according to titles supplied by staff. Drag queen stage names, if known, are listed in direct order.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Most of the photographs in this collection are located in cold storage (CS) as indicated in the descriptive inventory. Patrons must allow 24 hours after retrieval of cold storage item(s) before viewing material.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 2010

Related Materials

Southern Voice records, MSS 1016, Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center

Bias in Description

As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information. We choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not accurately convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. In working with this collection, we often re-use language used by the former owners of the material. This language provides context but often includes bias and prejudices reflective of the time in which it was created. The Kenan Research Center’s work is ongoing to implement reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete.

Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or descriptions, please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.

Content Advisory

This collection contains original unedited version of all content. Some material may contain depictions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There may be instances of racist language and depictions. These items are presented as part of the historical record for the purpose of education and research. The viewpoints expressed in this collection do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2023.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Southern Voice photographs
Author
Kate Daly and Annelies Van Linden
Date
October 2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/
Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040