This collection documents the Kings & Queen Bar in Woonsocket, R.I. as well as the LGBT community in Rhode Island from the 1970s-early 2000s. The bulk of the collection includes photographs and videos, but additional clippings, event calendars and ephemera are included. Materials represent the bar as a gay social space and include events such as holiday parties, drag shows and fundraisers as well as events for the LGBT community sponsored by the bar including bi-annual picnics, roller skating nights and leagues for softball, bowling, flag football and darts.
Photograph of the decorations inside the Kings & Queens during the 1998 New Years Eve party. This photograph shows a sign on the wall next to the DJ booth that say s "Phenomenon 1998" with silver reflective stars hanging around it. There are black and white balloons hanging on the ceiling and present on the floor.
Photograph of a person blowing a noisemaker at the camera inside the Kings & Queens. This photograph was taken during th e1997 New Years Eve Party. This photo shows the person from the shoulders up. She is wearing a tuxedo with a white flower in their lapel.
Photograph of a person seated at a table inside the Kings & Queens smoking a cigarette. They are wearing a Halloween costume of a suit, facial prosthetics, and a fake mustache. They are seated at a table with drinks and jack-o-lanterns. Behind them, there is a person dressed as Raggedy Ann seated at the next table.
Photograph of a person seated at the bar inside the Kings & Queens. The person is wearing a pinstripe suit, cape, and Vampire mask. They are holding their cape open for the photograph. There is a lit cigarette in an ashtray in front of them on the bar.
Photograph of a person wearing a pink and green ruffled dress Halloween costume. The person is seated on the right side of the image. They have their legs crossed and are holding their dress up showing their legs. Behind them on the left side of the image, Halloween decorations are attached to the walls. The decorations consist of a paper skeleton, a paper pumpkin, and three smaller paper skeletons.
Photograph of a woman inside the Kings & Queens. She is wearing ghoulish face paint and a black and white wig. She is seen from the shoulders up and is in the center of the image. Behind her, there are paper Halloween decorations and hay stalks on the wall.
Photograph of a person inside the Kings & Queens dressed as a Rubik's Cube. They are wearing a big cube costume around their torso. Their face is also painted as a Rubik's Cube. Attached to the cube torso, a fake keychain is present.
Photograph of two Kings & Queens bar patrons standing next to the bar. The two are in the center of the image and are wearing Halloween costumes. The person on the right is dressed as the musician Prince. The person on the left is dressed as a witch. The two have their arms around each other. The person dressed as a witch has her hand on the chest of the person dressed as Prince. The person dressed as Prince is resting their left elbow on the edge of the bar. Behind them, fake cobwebs and a handmade poster are present.
Photograph of a person inside the Kings & Queens dressed as a pumpkin. The person is wearing a green mask over their face and a big orange pumpkin around their torso. The costume has a drawn on jack-o-lantern face. The person is looking at the camera and has their arms out.
Photograph of a person seated at a table inside the Kings & Queens. This person is seated on the left side of the image and is looking at the camera with their hand on their lap. On the right side of the image, another person, mostly unseen, is also present. The person on the right is wearing face paint. On the table, a jack-o-lantern is present as are cigarette packs. There is a glass in the middle of the table with two straws in it.
Photograph of a person inside the Kings & Queens dressed as a mummy for Halloween. They are standing in the doorway with their arms raised up as they pose for the camera. On the left side of the image, a cigarette machine is present with a jack-o-lantern on top.
Photograph of an unidentified performer posing for the camera at an event inside the Kings & Queens. The performer is standing in the audience wearing her guitar with her fingers on the fretboard. She has a wearable microphone on her ear. Behind her, seated bar patrons are seen.
Photograph from the 1987 Pride Parade. This candid photograph shows a singing guitar performance in Cathedral Square. The photo is taken from behind the performers. The audience is seen sitting on the steps in the square.
Photograph of two drummers performing at the Kings & Queens. The drummers are both facing the right side of the image. The drummer in front standing and playing a hand drum. The drummer behind him is seated and is holding drum sticks. Behind them, the wall is decorated with a tropical sunset motif. The photo is taken from the audience.
Photograph of a group of people standing inside the Kings & Queens wearing Halloween costumes. In the center foreground, a person wearing a mask with a big nose, beard, long hair, sunglasses, and a fedora is present. Behind them on the right side of the image, a person in a white mask with red lips and red eyes is present. Other people are present on the left side of the image and are partially obstructed from view. Gold reflective streamers are hanging from the ceiling.
Photograph of people seated at the bar inside the Kings & Queens. In the foreground, the bartender's arm is seen holding a glass. Behind her, there are three people in paper hats seated at the bar. The person in the center of the photograph is smoking a cigarette.
Photograph of three people seated at the bar inside the Kings & Queens. They are seated under helium filled balloons at the ceiling. The balloons are black and orange. Gold ribbons hang from the balloons down into the seating area.
Photograph of three couples seated at different tables inside the Kings & Queens. There are leaf decorations attached to the wall behind them. In the foreground, two women wearing white are seated together and having a conversation. Behind them on the right side of the image, two other women are seated across from each other at a table. The rightmost woman is lighting a cigarette. On the left side of the image, a woman in a red shirt is sitting at table holding a drink and a cigarette. Her counterpart is unseen in the image.
Photograph of a group of people roller skating inside of a roller rink. In the foreground, two women are holding hands while roller skating. One is facing the camera and one is turned away.
Photograph of people seated inside the Kings & Queens. This is a candid photograph with various people engaged in different conversations. In the foreground on the left, there is a seated woman looking at the camera. In the background, Halloween decorations and hand made signs are present on the walls.
Photograph of people seated at the bar inside the Kings & Queens during a New Years Eve party. The group at the bar are all wearing party hats. This is a candid photo with only a single woman in the foreground looking at the camera.
Photograph of people dancing inside the Kings & Queens. The people dancing are wearing Halloween costumes. They are all facing towards the back of the wall. There are Halloween decorations and tree branches on the wall.
Photograph of various bar patrons in Halloween Costumes inside the Kings & Queens. In this photograph, various patrons are standing around the bar. On the right side of the image, person with red, black, and white face paint is smiling at the camera while resting her hands on a chair. On the left side of the image, another patron wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette is looking over at the bar. Behind these two people in the foreground, there are bar patrons in the background engaged in conversation. There are various Halloween decorations on the walls and hanging from the ceilings.
Photograph of a group of three people standing inside the Kings & Queens while wearing Halloween costumes. In the foreground, a woman in black is looking over her right shoulder at the camera. On the right of her, a man in a striped shirt is looking down at a woman in the background. Behind the woman in black, a woman in white is slightly obstructed from view. There are orange and black balloons on the ceiling and reflective gold ribbons hanging from them. In the background, seated bar patrons are visible.
Photograph of people inside the Kings & Queens wearing Halloween costumes. They are all sitting at a table with jack-o-lanterns on it. A woman on the left side of the image has her arms crossed on the table as she smiles at the camera.
Photograph of three people in costume inside the Kings & Queens bar. In the center, there is a man dressed as a ghoul looking at the camera. On the left side of the image, there is a woman in a ruffled shirt. On the right side of the image, a man in all denim is talking to a person off-camera on the right.
Photograph of people in Halloween costumes dancing inside the Kings & Queens. Some of the costumes are a dairy cow, Mickey Mouse, and an Ace of Spades. There are Halloween decorations, skeletons, and skulls hanging on the wall. The dancers have their backs to the cameras as they face the back wall.
Photograph of people in Halloween costumes dancing inside the Kings & Queens. They are dancing by the DJ booth. There is a paper Halloween decoration of a skull attached to the wall. There is a plastic skeleton next to the DJ booth.
Photograph of people in conversation while seated at the corner of the bar. In the foreground, a woman in a blue shirt is laughing and looking towards a woman seated on the right side of the image with her back to the camera. Behind them, two men are present. The closest man is in a blue shirt and is looking at his drink. Behind him, a second man in a red shirt is smiling and looking towards the conversation.