Loading...
Creator
Missabu, Rumi
Call number
*T-Mss 2015-021
Physical description
6.16 linear feet (13 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 2 tubes); 18.02 gigabytes (4381 computer files)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
Rumi Missabu collection, *T-Mss 2015-021. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

The Rumi Missabu collection (1952-2017) documents Missabu's artistic endeavors as one of the founding members of the San Francisco-based theatrical troupe known as The Cockettes. The collection consists of photographs of troupe members and friends; zines containing interviews with Missabu and other experimental artists; and flyers, programs, and posters advertising Cockette performances and events.

Biographical/historical information

Rumi Missabu is a founding member of the San Francisco-based, glittery drag-spectacle known as The Cockettes. A prominent group within the experimental, psychedelic theater and arts scene, the Cockettes were known for pushing the boundaries of drag and sexuality and exploring gender fluidity from the 1960s on. One of their most well-known and often-revived productions is Pearls over Shanghai, a mock-operetta set in 1937 Shanghai in which issues of miscegenation and white slavery are explored. Film credits for Missabu include the documentaries The Cockettes and Uncle Bob and the short The Glitter Emergency. Throughout the 2000s, Missabu continued to collaborate with artists and musicians as well as be involved in revival shows of Cockette productions.

Scope and arrangement

The Rumi Missabu collection contains primarily visual material, such as photographs, fliers, and programs stemming from performances with The Cockettes as well as Missabu's solo performances. These events are entrenched within the underground art scene in San Francisco from the 1960s until the 2000s. Missabu's colleagues and friends appear in original photographs that he collected, many of which indicate the photographer's name.

Cockette performances have been captured through audio recordings of soundtracks and video recordings of productions. Audio and visual materials are unavailable pending digitization.

There are also around thirty-five zines covering topics such as poetry and literature, photography, music, gay and lesbian life, and political action. Many of the zines include interviews with Missabu or advertise Cockette performances.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by name, title, or format.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Rumi Missabu (James Bartlett), 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Revision History

Additions processed by Heather Lember, 2016. (2016)

Additions processed by Susan M. Kline, 2017. (2018-08-08)

Processing information

Compiled by Lea Osborne, 2015.

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Access restrictions

Electronic records are unavailable pending processing. Audio and visual materials are unavailable pending digitization. *T-Cabinet items are available by appointment. Please email theatre@nypl.org for more information.