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The Lesbian Herstory Archives' oral history collection brings to life the rich stories of some of the of lesbians who have contributed their personal collections of papers and artifacts to the Archives. This digitized collection features insightful audio recordings and iconic photographs which give us a look into their fascinating lives.

Standing out within this collection are stories of the life of Mabel Hampton, an out lesbian for almost all her life. Born in 1902, she died in 1989 at the age of 87. She was African-American and early in her life she earned her money as a dancer/performer during the Harlem Renaissance and as a domestic both before and after that. She was an activist, particularly active in her last decade of life. She donated her lesbian paperback collection to the Archives in 1976, only two years after it was founded and was an incredible influence on the Archives, having lived with it for a number of years.

Please browse and explore all that our collection has to offer.

Left: Mabel and Joan Peters; Mabel and Joan Nestle / Mabel Hampton; Joan Nestle [interviewer]