Johnny Science Papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Johnny Science (1955-2007) was a musician, make-up artist, and LGBT community leader. The Johnny Science Papers contain materials that directly relate to Science's music and community leadership, ranging from the early 1980s through 2003. In addition, the collection preserves Science's personal creative exploration, writing, and research.
Biographical Note
Johnny Science (1955-2007) was a musician, make-up artist, and LGBT community leader. Science first began experimenting with theatrical make-up as a child in Englewood, New Jersey. From 1977-1980, he studied psychology at Fairleigh Dickensen University and specialized in gender and transsexuality.
Johnny adopted the surname Science while leading a band of the same name and art directing at New York nightclub Max's Kansas City in 1980. During this time, he became involved with the lesbian sadomasochism (SM) scene and began performing in leather. In the mid 1980s, Science started taking testosterone and identifying as a man. He also went by the names Johnny Armstrong, Daniel Austen, and John Grant at various times in his life.
In 1984, Science became a special effects make-up apprentice and began networking within the transgender community. In 1987, he was a facilitator and guest speaker at the International Foundation for Gender Education Annual Symposium in Massachusetts, provided "male make-over techniques," led a discussion on passing strategies, and began doing make-up for performance artist Diane Torr. In 1989, Science founded the F2M Fraternity and produced its newsletter Rites of Passage. In 1991, he founded The Drag King Club and began to coordinate "Drag-King-for-a-Day" workshops. He also collaborated with artist and sex educator Annie Sprinkle to produce, score, and perform in her film, Linda/Les and Annie: A Transexual Love Story.
Throughout the 1980s-1990s, Science appeared on the Howard Stern Show, the Phil Donohue Show, and the Joan Rivers Show, among others. In 1993, he began producing and hosting a weekly television show for the Manhattan Public Access Television Station called That Show with Johnny Science / The Drag King Club. In the late 1990s, Science was a member of the Gay Male SM Activists (GMSMA) and president of the Metro NY Chapter of the National Leather Association. He founded The Jovian Gentlemen, a social group that connected younger and elder men. Johnny Science passed away in 2007.
Arrangement
Within each series, materials are arranged alphabetically by document type, project title, or subject, then chronologically if dated.
Series I: Projects include all of Science's works of personal expression, professional work, research, and LGBT group administrative files.
Series II: Correspondence includes communication organized by type or individual in contact.
Series III: Photography preserves contact sheets, photographs, negatives, and slides pertaining to Science's professional and personal collection. These elements document Science's childhood, his work at Max's Kansas City, with Annie Sprinkle, and with The Drag King Club.
Series IV: Objects include handmade items by Science and personal collectables.
Series V: Video recordings includes elements pertaining to Science's Drag King Club work and personal library. These elements have not been preserved and are not currently available to researchers.
Series VI: Sound recordings includes recordings of music by Science and his personal library. These elements have not been preserved and are not currently available to researchers.
Series VII: Data Storage includes magnetic and optical computer data storage elements. Disks have not been preserved and are not currently available to researchers.
Series VIII: Comic Books includes comic books collected by Johnny Science.
Scope and Content
The Johnny Science Papers contain materials that directly relate to Science's music and community leadership, ranging from the early 1980s through 2003. In addition, the collection preserves Science's personal creative exploration, writing, and research. The materials include articles, essays, flyers, illustrations, lyrics, notebooks, poetry, posters, and subject files, as well as source and promotional material for LGBT social groups, club administrative files, graphic design drafts, event photography, and original video and audio recordings.
Subjects
People
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); collection name; MSS number; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The Collection was donated to the Fales Library by Katherine Rachlin and Chrysoula Artemis-Gomez in 2009.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Access to some audiovisual materials in this collection is available through digitized access copies. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room.
Some audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact [Fales Library, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596] with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
