Stonewall National Museum & Archives Exhibition on View at UW’s Coe Library

An educational exhibition showcasing the role that film and movie posters played in the LGBTQ+ community is on display at the University of Wyoming’s Coe Library.

“The Big Picture: Gay Movie Posters 1953 to 1978,” a poster exhibition, is located on the main level of Coe Library. It will be on display through Wednesday, March 15.

The exhibition was developed by the Stonewall National Museum & Archives (SNMA). Founded in 1972, SNMA is one of the most extensive LGBTQ+ archives and libraries in the United States.

The exhibition is composed of six posters from LGBTQ+-themed films from the 1950s to the 1970s. It highlights how these films helped to shape and represent the LGBTQ+ community during a time of limited representation and visibility. The exhibition provides a historical perspective on the representation of LGBTQ+ people in popular culture and the impact these films and posters had on the LGBTQ+ community and society.

“We can learn a lot through examining our past by studying popular culture and media to understand why visibility is so important,” says Paula Martin, UW Libraries assistant dean of user services. “We are excited to share these stories and context with the UW community and beyond.”

SNMA provides traveling exhibitions to libraries, community centers and other institutions throughout the U.S.

“The Big Picture: Gay Movie Posters 1953 to 1978” is sponsored by SNMA and UW Libraries.

For more information about the exhibition, visit www.stonewall-museum.org/traveling-exhibitions.