The Archivettes

Founded in the 1970s in a New York, The Lesbian Herstory Archives is now the world’s largest collection of materials by and about lesbians. For over 40 years, the organization has striven to combat lesbian invisibility by rescuing history from the trash. “Our history was disappearing as quickly as we were making it.” With that realization, Deborah Edel and Joan Nestle co-founded the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

Over the years, the organization has witnessed many of the major milestones in LGBTQ+ history and has weathered several storms. Today, with its founders in their seventies, the archives are facing new challenges, including a change in leadership and the rise of digital technology.

Exploring the fascinating origins of the organization, The Archivettes is a tribute to second-wave feminism and intergenerational connection, as well as an urgent rallying cry for continued activism in a politically charged moment.