Daddy Alan Selby (right), aka Mr. S, and his boy, Johnie Garcia, at the National March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights (1993); photographer unidentified; collection of the GLBT Historical Society.
Multimedia Exhibition Highlights San Francisco Leather Pioneer, Mr. S Leather Founder «Daddy» Alan Selby
A new exhibition opening May 16 at the GLBT Historical Society Museum recounts the story of «Daddy» Alan Selby, the founder of the iconic South of Market leather and kink emporium Mr. S Leather, within the context of a changing SoMa neighbourhood and the emergence of a distinct leather and kink culture.
«The Mayor of Folsom Street: The Life and Legacy of Alan Selby» surveys Selby’s life from his establishment of Mr. S Leather in San Francisco in 1979, to his community efforts during the AIDS crisis, to his undisputed position as «Daddy of all Daddies» in the city’s leather and kink subculture. It also traces the evolution of his small shop into a de facto community centre and international destination that continues to occupy a unique place in the history of alternative sexualities.
Alan Selby at the Mr. S Leather store on 7th Street in San Francisco (circa 1980). Photograph by Alexander V. Areno, all rights reserved; courtesy of Gayle Rubin.
The exhibition has been co-curated by Jordy Jones, Selby’s biographer; Jeremy Prince, the GLBT Historical Society’s museum and exhibitions director; and Gayle Rubin, renowned feminist and sexuality theorist and professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan.
Poster for the Seventh Annual Leather Daddy’s Boy Contest, presented by the AIDS Emergency Fund (1989); graphic by Robert Uyvari; collection of the GLBT Historical Society.
«The Mayor of Folsom Street’ is a portrait of a man, a business, a subculture and an era. Selby’s workshop was connected to the kink dungeon as well as to the hospital ward», Jones says, referring to Selby dividing his time between S/M playrooms and volunteer work in hospitals during the AIDS crisis. «Mr. S. is more than a brand. This exhibition reflects Selby’s role as a public Daddy, one whose protection and support could always be counted on».
Drawing on materials in the Alan Selby papers preserved in the GLBT Historical Society’s archives and on recent scholarship, the multimedia exhibition showcases artefacts, fine art, photographs and scarce historical documents.
Mr. S Products (U.S.A.) Ltd. product catalog (circa 1979); artwork by Lou Rudolph; collection of the GLBT Historical Society.
The show also reflects Selby’s participation in the daddy/boy subculture of consensual relationships that involve personal and erotic mentoring of younger men by older men in the gay leather and kink community. Underscoring the importance of cultural transmission and inheritance as a significant aspect of this subculture, the exhibition seeks to foster connection across queer generations.
«The Mayor of Folsom Street» opens Thursday, May 16, at the GLBT Historical Society Museum, 4127 18th St., San Francisco, with a public reception set for 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The curators will offer introductory remarks, and light refreshments will be served. Admission is $5.00; free for members of the GLBT Historical Society. Tickets are available online.
For more information, visit the GLBT Historical Society website at www.glbthistory.org.