These sensual glamor shots, taken in the 1980s, show the deep love between partners Frederick Schoonmaker and Alfred Parkinson (wearing the hat). The couple met in San Francisco and lived fascinating lives, but are most remembered for their attempt to start an intentional queer utopian community in the Nevada desert.
Called Stonewall Park, the town would have been a “safe and peaceful place” where they and other gay and interracial couples could live without interference. Their first two attempted land purchases were thwarted by significant local homophobia and racism, and their final attempt was the successful purchase of land near Thunder Mountain in rural Pershing County, Nevada. Work on the town quickly halted, however, after continued opposition and threats. The venture left Schoonmaker and Parkinson destitute. Schoonmaker was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, and he died the same year, after which Parkinson returned to San Francisco.
This photo is part of the Frederick Schoonmaker Papers (collection no. 1990-15) held by the GLBT Historical Society, and is one of more than 1,000 individual archival collections that reveal a vast array of LGBTQ life, history, and culture. From drag outfits and massive flags, to deeply personal diaries and correspondence, to organizational records, historic bar signs, ephemera, and more, our archival holdings make up one of the largest collections of LGBTQ historical materials ever assembled.
We share our collection highlights at our museum, located at 4127 18th Street in the Castro district. Our archives, located downtown at 989 Market Street, are open by appointment to anyone interested in diving deeper into queer history. To book your visit to the GLBT Historical Society’s archives or museum, or to make a contribution to support the organization’s work, visit https://www.glbthistory.org/
The GLBT Historical Society maintains a strong commitment to documenting the diverse lives of LGBTQ communities and is especially interested in receiving and preserving archival collections that focus on the intersectional experiences of women, people of color, transgender and nonbinary people. If you have materials such as these and are interested in donating them, please consider contacting our archives staff at reference@glbthistory.org
Community Treasures from the GLBT Historical Society Archives
Published on February 9, 2023
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