Winston Alias Papers

The collection provides a look at gay life in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the United States. The collection contains Winston Alias’s correspondence with friends, family and his partner, most of which date to his time serving in the army. References are made in some of the correspondence to gay culture of the time and the presence of homosexuality in the armed forces. There is also more general discussion on the culture of New York City during this time period.

Additionally, the collection contains photographs that date to the time period of the correspondence and later. These were mostly gathered from personal photo albums. Some other miscellaneous documents (concert programs, school papers, army documents, etc.) are also included.