Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Edith "Edie" Windsor was a computer programmer, LGBTQ+ activist, and also known as the lead plaintiff in the landmark United States Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, which overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013. In 1965, Windsor began a relationship with clinical psychologist Thea Spyer. As activists, they were involved in several New York City area LGBTQ+ organizations and were longtime attendees and participants in the New York City Gay Pride Parade. The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Papers (1888–2024) document the personal lives, professional careers, and LGBTQ+ activism of Windsor and Spyer. The collection includes materials from their early formative years into their adulthood through photographs, correspondence, school material, and family records. Their decades-long partnership is illustrated through extensive personal photographs, correspondence, and household files, with a particular emphasis on their identity as a lesbian couple, and their struggles with Spyer's multiple sclerosis. Their desire to marry is documented in planning files, photographs, and digital video recording of the 2007 ceremony. Windsor's professional career as a computer programmer, and Spyer's work as a clinical psychologist are documented through resumes, correspondence, newsletters, and published articles. Event files and organizational records dating from the 1980s to the 2020s document a variety of LGBTQ+ organizations in which Windsor and Spyer were involved throughout their lifetimes. Windsor's pivotal role in United States v. Windsor is documented through her legal files, correspondence, press coverage, and photographs.
Biographical Note on Edith "Edie" Windsor
Edith "Edie" Windsor (Schlain) (1929–2017) was a computer engineer and LGBTQ+ activist best known for her role as the lead plaintiff in the landmark 2013 Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Windsor worked for IBM from the late 1950s through the 1980s, and later founded her own software consulting firm, PC Classics, Inc., which assisted many LGBTQ+ organizations in modernizing their mailing and membership systems.
In 1965, Windsor began a lifelong relationship with Thea Spyer. The couple became engaged in 1967, with the hope that same-sex marriage would eventally become legal in the United States. In the 1970s, Spyer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and as her condition worsened, Windsor chose to take early retirement from IBM in 1975 in order to become her full-time caregiver. The couple entered into a domestic partnership in 1993 and eventually married in Canada in 2007 when it became legal to do so there.
After Spyer's death in 2009, Windsor sought the federal estate tax exemption available to surviving spouses but was denied under DOMA. This led her to challenge the law, resulting in the United States Supreme Court 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor, a historic victory for marriage equality.
As an activist, Windsor worked closely with a number of LGBTQ+ organizations including the East End Gay Organization (EEGO), Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE), and Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC). She was also a longtime attendee and participant in the New York City Gay Pride Parade.
Following the Supreme Court decision, Windsor's profile as a public figure grew significantly. She became a celebrated LGBTQ+ advocate, receiving widespread recognition and numerous awards for her contributions to civil rights and social justice. Windsor married Judith Kasen in 2016. After her death in 2017, Windsor's legacy is carried on through her wife Judith Kasen-Windsor, as well as through various organizations including the Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation; The Stonybrook Southampton Edie Windsor Healthcare Center; and the Edie Windsor Visitor Center at Hetrick-Martin Institute.
Biographical Note on Thea Spyer
Thea Spyer (1931–2009) was a clinical psychologist and LGBTQ+ activist. Born in Amsterdam, she and her family emigrated to the United States in the 1940s. After earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University, Spyer moved to New York City and served as Director of the Psychiatric Clinic at the International Center for the Disabled and then as a Clinical Consultant in Rehabilitation at St. Vincent's Hospital in Westchester. She eventually started her own private practice, continuing to see patients until her death in 2009.
In 1965, Spyer began a relationship with Edie Windsor which lasted over 40 years. The couple became engaged in 1967, entered a domestic partnership in 1993, and married in Toronto, Canada, in 2007. Spyer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1970s and eventually needed full-time care and used a wheelchair.
After Spyer's death, her wife Edie was denied the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses under the Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor's legal challenge led to the 2013 decision on the United States Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor.
Spyer's work in the mental health field, especially related to the LGBTQ+ community, is commemorated through the Thea Spyer Center at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and the Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation.
Arrangement
Organized into three series, with each further divided into subseries:
Series I. Personal
Subseries I.A. Edie Windsor
Subseries I.B. Thea Spyer
Subseries I.C. Household
Series II. Professional
Subseries II.A. Edie Windsor
Subseries II.B. Thea Spyer
Series III. Activism
Subseries III.A. Events and Appearances
Subseries III.B. Organizations
Subseries III.C. United States v. Windsor
Material within each series is arranged alphabetically and grouped by subject, with the exception of Subseries III.A. and III.C. which are arranged in chronological order.
Scope and Contents
This collection chronicles the more than forty-year relationship and marriage of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, providing a unique perspective on LGBTQ+ life and community from the late 20th century into the early 21st century. It also highlights their shared activism and Windsor's later emergence as a cultural icon through her landmark United States Supreme Court Case, United States v. Windsor, which struck down key parts of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Material related to Edie and Thea's early lives as children and young adults offers a clearer understanding of them as individuals before they became a couple in 1965. The impact of World War II and post-War culture on both of their early lives is represented in this collection through Windsor's photographs, school ephemera, and correspondence, documenting her life growing up in Philadelphia, going to college, and working summers in Atlantic City. Contrasting this with Thea's experience being born in the Netherlands in the 1930s and, because her family was Jewish, fleeing the country and eventually moving to the United States in the early 1940s. This collection contains Thea's photographs, correspondence, citizenship documentation, and family ephmera.
Edie and Thea's life together is documented through images and materials that illustrate their vibrant social life centered within the LGBTQ+ community, featuring decades of gatherings, vacations, beach days, celebrations, and their 2007 wedding. Thea's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in the mid-1970s also impacted their lives, especially as her MS progressed through the years, with her eventually requiring full time caregiving and use of a wheelchair. Their gradual adjustments through the years to providing Thea with more accessibility in their living spaces and beyond are evident in images, correspondence, travel documents, and in apartment and house renovation plans. Planning files, photographs, and a digital video recording of their 2007 wedding in Toronto, Canada, document a same-sex couple whose commitment to marriage required traveling abroad, due to legal restrictions in the U.S. These materials also reflect the challenges they faced as elderly individuals with chronic illnesses, underscoring the deep personal significance of their decision to marry.
Work files in this collection for both Edie and Thea provide insight into the lives of women working during the 1950s through 1980s, specifically in predominantly male-dominated fields. Windsor worked as a computer programmer for IBM and as a consultant, where not only was she one of the only women, but she was also not out as a lesbian to her co-workers. Her programming source code, consulting business client files, and involvement in various professional groups also provides documentation on the developing role of computers and programming for work and home during this time.
This collection also follows Edie and Thea's activism in a variety of LGBTQ+ community organizations, many of which had specific focuses that appealed to them, including geographic location such as NFWFW (North Fork Women for Women) or EEGO (East End Gay Organization), or SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders) and OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), both organizations concenered with the care and rights of elderly gay people. Event and appearance files within this collection document how Edie and Thea's social lives and activism were intertwined, and in later years reflect the increased social demands on Windsor after her United States Supreme Court decision in 2013, which made her a highly sought after personality for appearances. Additionally, this collection contains documentation on Windsor's United State Supreme Court Case, United States v. Windsor which struck down key parts of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This material accumulated by Windsor includes correspondence, press conference talking points, photographs, press clippings, and legal documentation.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Papers; MSS 642; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Judith Kasen-Windsor, Edie Windsor's widow, in June 2024; the accession number associated with this gift is 2024.032. Kasen-Windsor donated an accretion of paper and electronic records in December 2024; the accession number associated with this gift is 2024.055.
Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures
Advance notice is required for the use of computer records. Original physical digital media is restricted. An access terminal for born-digital materials in the collection is available by appointment for reading room viewing and listening only. Researchers may view an item's original container and/or carrier, but the physical carriers themselves are not available for use because of preservation concerns.
Appraisal
The following items were removed from the collection during processing: 39 born-digital carriers (blank; commercial; and duplicate material); 1 audiocassette; 2 commercial DVDs (exterior covers of documentary films were retained as objects); 12 cartons of duplicate print material and out of scope correspondence; and 5 cartons of empty slide carousels and their storage boxes. Three cartons of images were separated from the collection using the following directives: blurry/out of focus; children pictured alone (e.g., children of friends); portraits or candids of individual friends without context; home improvement (e.g., close-up images of pipes, drywall, and tools); repetitive yard images without context; and close-up images of decor without context.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning in August 2024, materials were left in their original order and rehoused in archival boxes. Loose materials were rehoused in folders in their existing order. Born-digital materials on physical carriers were identified, physically separated, inventoried, and forensically imaged. New York University Libraries follow professional standards and best practices when imaging, ingesting, and processing born-digital material in order to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the content.
In 2025, paper material was placed in acid-free folders and manuscript boxes. Oversized material was foldered and housed appropriately according to its size. Duplicate material including event programs, organizational promotional brochures and booklets, and press clippings and articles were removed from the collection, keeping only one copy of each. The covers were retained for two commercially available DVDs related to documentaries on Edie and Thea and the discs were removed from the collection.
One copy of each photograph was retained, unless copies were included within an object, such as an album. Photographic material was physically separated from the rest of the collection and the files were stored together, grouped by format/size when possible, and listed intellectually within the finding aid inventory. Archival object titles containing folders for both paper and images were nested separately in the inventory under a common title. Negatives were kept with their corresponding prints, but stored behind a paper barrier. Loose negatives without corresponding prints were grouped together in shared folders. Albums containing loose prints had their pages photocopied and photographs were removed from their pages and placed in envelopes for storage. Slides previously stored in carousel projector boxes were removed and placed in appropriate sleeves, including any written notations from the outside of the box.
Select creator-supplied titles containing ableist language were identified in this collection, but have been retained to convey important contextual information regarding the time and place in which the documents and titles were created. The description and inventory contains multiple different acronyms referring to LGBTQ+ individuals and communities; these have been retained in order to accurately represent how the groups identify themselves.
70 born-digital carriers were forensically imaged and analyzed. The 30 carriers retained in the collection were arranged and described. An unsuccessful attempt was made to image a disk containing a program created by Edie (FA_MSS_642_70); however, this disk was kept as an object in the collection.
The processing archivist used AI tools to assist in writing some of the scope and contents notes. They used chatgpt.com to edit series and subseries scope and note drafts, asking it to improve grammar and clarity. They used some, but not all, of chatgpt's suggestions.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I. Personal, 1888-2023, inclusive; 1950-2000, bulk
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains material focused on the personal lives of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer as individuals, specifically during their childhood, teen, and young adult years before they met in 1965. This series also contains material related to their daily lives and events shared as a committed couple for over 40 years.
Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries:
Subseries I.A. Edie Windsor
Subseries I.B. Thea Spyer
Subseries I.C. Household
Subseries I.A. Edie Windsor, circa 1900s-2023, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries documents Edie Windsor's life as an individual, with particular emphasis on her teen and single adult years, as well as her life after the death of Thea and later marriage to Judith Kasen-Windsor.
Early images in slide and print form and disassembled albums in this subseries date from the 1930s to early 1950s, tracing her life from a teen to young adult years. These images frequently feature friends and family, providing glimpses into life during World War II, post-War life, and Windsor's fondness for the beach and socializing. This is especially true of the images of her summers spent working in Atlantic City during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her brief marriage to Saul Wiener (Windsor) and subsequent divorce are also documented in this subseries. Images in this subseries also illustrate her post-divorce life in New York City in the 1950s, highlighting her growing connection to the lesbian community through photographs of parties and trips with friends and romantic partners to local beach destinations. Posed portrait photographs of Windsor span from the 1960s to 2017. Images of Edie and Thea together are in Series I.C.
School materials includes Windsor's high school yearbook, report cards, class notes, and papers. College-era material consists of photographs, class schedules, and school newsletters from Rittenhouse College, as well as documents from Windsor's graduate studies at New York University and Harvard University/Radcliffe College during the 1960s.
Material related to Windsor's family includes photographs, estate documents, and correspondence for James "Jack" Schlain, Celia "Cele" Schlain, sister Delphina "Dolly", brother Edmund "Blackie", and cousins. The subseries also contains early photographs of relatives dating from the 1900s through the 1960s.
Windsor's calendars and appointment books (1960s–2017), notebooks, budget and expense reports, and personal correspondence offer insights into her daily life. Her correspondence in this subseries notably increased in volume following key events in her life that resonated with the LGBTQ+ community, including the death of Thea Spyer in 2009 and the landmark 2013 United States Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor.
Windsor's interest in health and wellness is reflected in notebooks tracking her progress with a substantial selection of anti-smoking, diet, and exercise-related print materials. Items from her later years, especially after 2013, include correspondence and photographs with her second wife, Judith Kasen-Windsor, whom she married in 2016. The subseries also includes condolence cards sent to Kasen-Windsor after Windsor's death in 2017, as well as Windsor's obituary, press clippings, and memorial service program.
Address Books, 1985-1993, undated, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 1960-1969, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 1970-1979, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 1980-1989, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 1990-1996, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 1999-2007, inclusive
Appointment and Date Books, 2007-2017, inclusive
Artwork -- Edie "Don't Postpone Joy" Print Portrait by Abigail Gray Swartz, 2020
Artwork -- Signed Art Poster for Photographer Marian Roth "Underwater" Exhibition, undated, inclusive
Articles and Press Clippings, 2011-2017, inclusive
Awards, Citations, Proclamations, 2011-2018, inclusive
Biographical Statements and Summaries, circa 2009-2016, inclusive
Birth Certificate and Related, 1929, circa 1950s, inclusive
Books and Memoirs -- Literary Agent Agreement and Related, 2013
Books and Memoirs -- A Wild and Precious Life Correspondence, Edits, Event-Related Material, 2017-2020, inclusive
Candid Images of Edie, 1963-2010, inclusive
Photographs, 1963-1964, inclusive
Slide Images, January 1975
Photographs, circa 1990s, inclusive
Photographs, March 30, 1991
Photograph, 2010
Charitable Contributions Documentation, 2011-2016, inclusive
Childhood -- Photographs, circa 1935-early 1940s, inclusive
"The Club" Joint Real Estate Venture Documentation, 1980-1981, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Austern, Norman, 1960-1967, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Cohen, Barbara, 2015
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Bless Bless Productions, 2007-2015, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Ellison Family, 1959-1972, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Faderman, Lillian, 2014
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Kaplan, Roberta "Robbie" and Family, 2012-2016, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Lecesne, James, 2015-2017, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Lewis, Zoe, 2015
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Mayer, Yisroel, 2011-2012, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Meyer, Susan, 2013-2015, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Morrison, Jim, 2011
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Nusio, Kimberly, 2011-2014, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Proud, B., 2016-2017, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Renna, Cathy, 2013-2016, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Rovinsky, Selma, 1955
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Seligma, June, 1956-1961, 2009, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Spyer Family Members, 2015
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Varga, Margit, 1965-1976, inclusive
Correspondence, Chronological, 1950-2008, inclusive
Correspondence, Chronological, 2009
Correspondence, Chronological, 2010-2012, inclusive
Correspondence, Chronological, 2013
Correspondence, Chronological, 2014-2015, inclusive
Correspondence, Chronological, 2016-2017, inclusive
Correspondence, Chronological, undated, inclusive
Correspondence Between Edie and Wife Judith Kasen-Windsor, 2016-2017, inclusive
Correspondence to Edie and Wife Judith Kasen-Windsor, 2016-2017, inclusive
Correspondence of Judith Kasen-Windsor, 2016-2023, undated, inclusive
Desk Calendar, 1961
Desk Calendar, 2011
Dream Journals, 1964-1975, inclusive
Edie Windsor Way Philadelphia Street Sign, and Photograph of Installed Sign, undated, inclusive
Edie with Friends Images, 1950-2017, inclusive
Photographs, 1950-1951, inclusive
Photographs, 1955
Photograph, Spring 1957
Photographs, 1987, 1989, inclusive
Photographs, circa 2010-2017, inclusive
Education -- Delta Gamma Pi Fraternity Press Clipping, circa 1942-1943, inclusive
Education -- West Philadelphia High School Yearbook and Ephemera, 1946
Education -- Class Notes and Papers, 1946-1950, inclusive
Education -- Rittenhouse College, 1947-1948, inclusive
Newsletters and Ephemera
Photographs of Edie and Tennis Team, Friend Rene
Education -- Hunter College Academic Records, 1954
Education -- New York University Admissions Material and Academic Records, 1953-1958, 1985, inclusive
Education -- New York University Diploma for Master of Science, 1957
Education -- Radcliffe College/Harvard University Ephemera, 1960-1961, inclusive
Education -- Radcliffe College/Harvard University Computer Programming Class Notes, 1960-1961, inclusive
Education -- Speech and Accent Correction Lessons, 1962
Education -- French Language Class Notes and Exercises, 1977-1979, inclusive
Education -- Hebrew Language Class Notes and Exercises, circa 1980s, inclusive
Education -- C Computer Language Programming Class Notes, 1992
Education -- Math Class Notes, 1994-1995, inclusive
Education -- Writing Class Notes and Short Stories, 2000-2001, inclusive
Education -- High School Reunion Information, 2006
Egypt and Greece Trip, November 11-December 1, 1984
Planning Material and Image Title Lists from Slide Storage Boxes
Slides and Photographs
Egypt and Greece Trip -- Slide Images, February 1987
Expenses and Income Ledger Pages, 1952, 1954, inclusive
Expenses Notebook, 1952-1965, inclusive
Family -- Celia "Cele" Schlain (Mother), 1913, 1920s-1950s, inclusive
Cards and Letters, 1913, 1920s-1950s, inclusive
Correspondence with Edie, 1957-1979, inclusive
Family -- Celia "Cele" Schlain (Mother) 80th Birthday Party, March 11, 1972
Identifying Notes for Images
Photographs and Contact Sheets
Family -- Delphina "Dolly" Rieder (Sister), 1942-1970, inclusive
Correspondence, 1943-1970, inclusive
Photograph of Dolly and Husband Frederick Rieder, 1942
Family -- Edie and Family Group Photographs, circa 1930s-1950s, inclusive
Family -- Edmund "Blackie" Schlain (Brother), 1940-1992, inclusive
Correspondence, 1943-1945, 1991-1992, inclusive
Photographs, 1940-1943, 1991-1992, inclusive
Family -- Eric, Jeremy "Remy", and Jon Rieder (Nephews) Correspondence, 1951-1982, inclusive
Family -- Family Members' Photographs, circa 1900s-1960s, inclusive
Family -- James "Jack" Schlain (Father), 1958
Estate Material
Photographs and Negatives of Edie and Jack
Family -- Maya (Cousin) Booklet, "My Cousin Edie", circa 2013
Family -- Sonya "Sunnie" (Cousin) Photographs with Her Family and Edie, 2013, circa 2013-2017, inclusive
Friends -- Candid and Posed Photographs, circa 1950s-1960s, inclusive
Fun Home Broadway Show -- Edie's Article, Show Tickets, and Related, 2015
Funeral / Memorial Service Program, Guestbook, and Related, 2017
Gift -- Booklet on Managing Finances, Created by Edie for Willie Spyer, 1965
Greece Trips -- Travel Documents, 1965-2005, inclusive
Health and Wellness -- Diet Tracking Material, 1962-1990s, inclusive
Health and Wellness -- Smoke Enders Material, 1973-1983, inclusive
Health and Wellness -- Spa Promotional Material, 1970-1975, inclusive
Health and Wellness -- Jacqueline Rogers' Life Control Institute Informational Material, 1986
Health and Wellness -- Diet Program Chart, undated, inclusive
Historical Landmarks Cultural Medallion / Plaque-Related, and Walking Map and Tour Directions, 2018-2019, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor and Edie Photographs, circa 2015-2017, inclusive
List of Edie's Favorite Lesbian Bars, undated, inclusive
Lorraine Hansberry Documentary Project Release Forms, 2016
Marriage to Saul Wiener (Windsor), 1940s-1950s, circa 2000s, inclusive
Forms and Documentation, 1951-1952, inclusive
Photographs, 1940s-1950s, circa 2000s, inclusive
Wedding Reception Photograph, 1951
Marriage to Judith Kasen Documents, September 26, 2016
Marty Cohen and Edie at the Beach Photograph, circa 1947-1951, inclusive
New York City Department of Education Poster Illustration of Edie, 2018
New York City Department of Parks Passes with Photographs, 1961-1962, inclusive
Notebooks and Notes, 1970s-2016, inclusive
Party for Paula Photographs, January 24, 1965
Passports, 2002-2012, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Family, Friends, Soldier Friends, 1941-1947, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Family, Friends, College, Beach, 1946-1948, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Family, Friends, Beach, Travel, 1951-1955, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Trips to Provincetown and Nantucket, Girlfriend Selma, Beach, Friends, 1955-1957, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Family, Friends, Trips, Beach, June-July 1958
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Friends, Trips, Beach, 1959-1960, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Friends, Family, New Year's Party, 1962-1963, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Beach, Friends, Family, Parties, June-December 1963
Poetry by Edie, circa 1950s, inclusive
Posed Photographs, circa 1960s, inclusive
Posed Photograph -- Edie Holding Diamond Circle Engagement Pin, circa 2009-2015, inclusive
Posed Photograph -- Edie in Her Office, circa 2010-2017, inclusive
Posed Photograph -- Edie Next to Photograph of Thea, circa 2010-2017, inclusive
Posed Photograph -- Edie at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Site, circa 2012-2017, inclusive
Posed Photograph by Ryan Brandenberg, circa 2012-2017, inclusive
Posed Photograph by Max Vadukul, 2013
Posed Photograph, September 2014
Posed Photograph by B. Proud, 2014
Posed Photographs, circa 2016-2017, inclusive
Song Lyrics and Sheet Music for Edie & Judith , by Dan Martin and Michael Biello, 2017
Windsor-Spyer Trust, 2004, 2013, 2017, inclusive
Subseries I.B. Thea Spyer, 1888-2009, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries documents the life of Thea Spyer, focusing primarily on her early childhood through early adulthood. There is a small amount of material on her later adult life.
There are an extensive number of images of Spyer as an only child, growing up in the Netherlands in the 1930s where her father served in the Dutch military and also owned a successful pickling business. Early images include Thea's mother, Elisabeth, who died when she was only a few years old and later her stepmother, Jetty. Due to their Jewish heritage, Thea's family was forced in the late 1930s to escape to England and then eventually the family settled in the United States. Other images in this subseries include formal portraits and candid shots of Thea from the 1940s to mid-1950s. Family travel photographs from the 1950s capture trips through Europe with her father and stepmother. Later images include a January 1965 trip to Eleuthera with Thea's then-girlfriend before she started to date Edie Windsor. Images of Edie and Thea together are in Series I.C.
Spyer's time as a Girl Scout at Camp Barree in the summer of 1947 is well-documented through brochures, photographs, and press clippings. School-related material in this subseries dates from the 1940s including class assignments, report cards, and graduation programs. Of note are concert programs from Spyer's time as a violin student in the Juilliard School of Music's Preparatory Division dating from the late 1940s to early 1950s. Her academic career is further represented through college-level class papers, correspondence, and student records from Sarah Lawrence College, the New School for Social Research, and Adelphi College.
Early family history materials feature documentation of her father Willem Spyer's Dutch military service beginning in the early 1910s, as well as notes on the broader Spyer family history, specifically photographs of her family's pickle factory in the Netherlands. A small collection of correspondence between Spyer's family dating from the 1930s while her father was serving in the Dutch military is also in this subseries.
Additional materials include Spyer's passports and citizenship papers; international driving certificate; jury summonses (with references to her multiple sclerosis); and life insurance forms and questionnaires.
Spyer's 2009 death certificate, obituary, tributes, funeral arrangements, and a digital video recording of her memorial service are also in this subseries.
Address Book, 1994
Candid Images of Thea, 1955-2009, inclusive
Photographs, circa late 1950s-early 1960s, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1970s, inclusive
Slide Images -- Her Reading, and at New Year's Eve Party, 1974-1975, inclusive
Photographs with Friends, circa 1980s, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1990s, inclusive
Photographs -- In Bed or in Wheelchair, circa 1990s-2009, inclusive
Photographs -- Getting a Haircut, April 1992
Photograph, August 1994
Childhood Photographs, circa 1931-1935, inclusive
With Father and Mother, circa 1931-1933, inclusive
With Father and Others, circa 1931-1933, inclusive
On Boardwalk with Father and Others, 1934
With Father and Stepmother, circa 1934-1935, inclusive
Childhood Photographs, circa late 1930s-early 1940s, inclusive
Playing, Casual Poses, Sports
Brownie Troop Parade
Posed Portraits, circa 1931-1935, inclusive
With Group, June 1935
Posing Alone and with Others, September 1939
Childhood Photographs -- Posing, Playing Violin, Riding Bike, with Father and Groups, circa 1940s, inclusive
Correspondence -- Addressed to Thea, Regarding Her Parents (in Dutch), 1933
Correspondence -- Thea with Parents, 1933-1941, inclusive
Correspondence, 1952-1997, inclusive
Death, Burial, and Memorial Service, 2009
Death Certificate, Obituary, Tributes, Funeral Arrangements, Memorial Program
Memorial Service -- Digital Video Recording
Digital materials
Education -- Middle Through High School Ephemera, 1940-1950, inclusive
Education -- Class Project: "From Windmills to Skyscrapers" Life Story by Thea, circa 1946
Education -- "News Club Scrapbook" Containing Articles by Thea, 1947
Education -- Juilliard School of Music Preparatory Section Ephemera, 1947-1951, inclusive
Education -- Sarah Lawrence College -- Correspondence, Student Reports, and Father's Report, 1950-1952, inclusive
Education -- Down's Hospital Nursery School, 1952-1953, inclusive
Correspondence
Photographs of Thea with Children and Co-Workers
Education -- New School for Social Research Student Record and Ephemera, 1952-1955, inclusive
Education -- Adelphi College Student Record and Related, 1957-1960, inclusive
Education -- Literature Class Paper, undated, inclusive
Exercise Brochures, Booklets, and Notes, 1990-1991, inclusive
Family -- Elisabeth Spyer (Mother), 1888, 1927-1934, undated, inclusive
Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates and Related
Photographs
Family -- Spyer Family Pickle Factory Photographs, circa 1900-1930, inclusive
Family -- Willem Spyer (Father), 1911-1987, inclusive
Dutch Military Service and Estate Documents
Photographs of Spyer in Uniform, Casual, and with First and Second Wives, Elisabeth and Judith
Family -- Thea's Notes on Family History, undated, inclusive
Family -- Dick Spyer (Cousin) Photographs, 2001, 2006, undated, inclusive
Family -- Patsy Spyer Material, 2002, 2004, inclusive
Family and Friends with Thea Photographs, circa 1950s, inclusive
Friends and Thea Photographs, circa 1980s, September 1997, inclusive
Girl Scout Camp Barree, June-July 1947
Promotional Booklet, Correspondence, Press Clippings
Camp Activities and Group Photographs
International Driving Permit, 1969
Jury Summons Questionnaires, circa 1960s-1970s, inclusive
Life Insurance Forms and Notes, 1976-1987, inclusive
Passports and Citizenship-Related Documents, 1940-2002, inclusive
Posed Portrait Images, 1950s-1970s, inclusive
Posed Next to Flower Box, circa 1950s, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1950s, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1960s, inclusive
Photographs, 1966
Photographs, 1973, 1970s, inclusive
Thea's Father's Day Gift Scrapbook, 1946-1949, inclusive
Travel -- Thea and Family Photographs, circa 1950s, inclusive
Travel -- Photographs from Italy, Monaco, and Switzerland, 1950
Travel -- Photographs with Father in London, September 1950
Travel -- Photographs with Thea and Others, 1953
Travel -- Photographs Thea with Couple in Windsor, England, 1954
Travel -- Photographs Thea with Father and Stepmother in Italy, 1957
Travel -- Slide Images of Thea with Girlfriend Frederica in Eleuthera, Bahamas, January 1965
Violin Authentication Papers, 1948-1988, inclusive
Subseries I.C. Household, 1953-2017, inclusive
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries documents the over four-decade long relationship of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, a lesbian couple whose enduring partnership and eventual marriage offers a powerful lens into LGBTQ+ life in the second half of the 20th century and early 21st century. Living together in New York City and spending summers on Long Island, Edie and Thea navigated the typical challenges of a relationship while also contending with the realities of remaining closeted in their professional lives, and also constantly adjusting to the long-term progression of Thea's multiple sclerosis. Their life together, beginning in 1965, is extensively chronicled through images and materials which illustrate their vibrant social world, centered mostly within their LGBTQ+ community, featuring decades of gatherings, vacations, celebrations, and their day-to-day lives.
Beginning in the late 1970s, Thea's slow progression of MS eventually rendered her a quadriplegic, requiring she use a wheelchair and full time care. Material in this subseries illustrates how the couple adapted to this loss of mobility through photographs and floorplans of accessibility-related renovations to their Fifth Avenue apartment and Tuckahoe Lane home, as well as manuals for mobility aids like bed and pool lifts. Notes and notebooks dating back to the 1970s through the early 2000s record reflections on Thea's diagnosis, symptoms, and care, as well as incidental documents, including jury duty summons for both women, which offer insight into how MS shaped their civic and personal lives.
This subseries documents Edie and Thea's love of the beach and the Long Island area, which started early in their relationship. Photographs of their first summer house rental together in 1966, which they nicknamed: "Mrs. Fordham's" are in this subseries. Images include beach days, visitors, and alone time together. Photographs, slides, and albums from subsequent summers, especially at their Tuckahoe Lane home purchased in 1969, capture pool parties, visitors, and holidays with friends and family. For the rest of their lives together, their summers were split, driving between New York City and Southampton. This subseries also includes a large collection of casual and posed images of Edie and Thea taken from 1965 through Thea's death in 2009. Milestone anniversary parties, often around Memorial Day at their Tuckahoe Lane home, were celebrated with fanfare even before they could legally marry. Notably, this subseries contains photographs and planning notes from their 15th, 20th, 25th, and 40th anniversaries, including a cake topper frequently reused throughout the years, created from a photograph of Edie and Thea from their 15th anniversary celebration.
This subseries also includes photographs of their 1993 domestic partnership and 2007 wedding in Toronto, Canada. At the time of their wedding, Thea was 77 and in fragile health, yet the couple's determination to be legally recognized, despite physical and bureaucratic obstacles, underscores the importance of their union. Their travel to Canada and wedding ceremony are documented in this subseries through planning documents, transportation logistics, correspondence, legal paperwork, print and digital photographs, as well as a digital video recording of the ceremony. Their New York Times wedding announcement drafts and photographs further document their public and private commitment. This subseries also contains press coverage surrounding their wedding, and later legal case through clippings and articles, including a controversial 2011 NYU Alumni Magazine cover that drew attention due to the couple's visibility as older married lesbians.
Also in this subseries are estate planning legal and financial papers, which became especially critical given Edie and Thea's marital status as a same-sex couple prior to federal marriage equality. These records include wills, trusts, correspondence, and financial reports which not only reflect the couple's proactive planning, but also laid groundwork for Windsor's pivotal Supreme Court case, United States v. Windsor.
This subseries also contains material related to the 2009 documentary by Bless Bless Productions: Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, released after Thea's death. Items include festival programs and schedules; promotional posters and announcements; and a selection of digital video interview footage that the documentarians, Susan Muska and Gréta Ólafsdottir, created for Windsor.
Travel played a major role in their relationship, and this subseries includes notes and photographs from their trips, beginning with Suriname in 1965 and continuing to various European countries, St. Barths, Holland, and St. Thomas. The planning notes and correspondence in this subseries reveal, through the years, how each trip became more complex to coordinate as Thea's physical limitations increased and mobility became more difficult.
2 Fifth Avenue Apartment, 1980-2002, inclusive
Renovations / Accessibility Accommodations-Related Booklets, Brochures, Design Floorplans, 1991, 2002, inclusive
Renovation Floorplans/Blueprints, 1991
Photographs and Negatives -- Interiors, Visit from Judy and Dalia, Fall 1980
Slide Images -- Apartment Renovations / Accessibility Accommodations, Visitors, and Party, August-November 1986
Photographs -- Apartment Renovation, Friends, Party, 1990
Photographs -- Friends for Dinner, Guests, circa 1990s, inclusive
Photographs -- Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation, circa 1990s-2002, inclusive
Photographs -- Apartment Interior, circa 1990s-2000s, inclusive
Protest Photographed from Apartment Window, undated, inclusive
43 Fifth Avenue Apartment -- Slides and Negatives of Interiors, Party, Portraits of Women, 1969-1974, inclusive
50s Labor Day Party at Mary Jane Meeker's Photographs, 1983
Address Books and Lists, 1998-2003, undated, inclusive
Anniversaries -- Party Planning Material for Multiple Years, 1976-2001, inclusive
Anniversaries -- 15th Anniversary Party Photographs, Slides, and Negatives, May 24, 1980
Anniversary Cake Topper Created From 1980 Image of Edie and Thea, 1980-2007, inclusive
Anniversaries -- 20th Anniversary Banner and Edie with Trophy Photographs and Negatives, May 1985
Anniversaries -- 25th Anniversary, May 30, 1990, 2002, inclusive
Scrapbook -- Party Photographs, and Edie's 2002 Short Story "Let the Good Times Roll"
Party at Herb Cohen's Photographs and Negatives
Anniversaries -- Party Photographs, 1998
Anniversaries -- 40th Anniversary / East End Gay Organization (EEGO) "Season Opener" Party, May 28, 2005
Planning Material
Print Photographs
Digital Images
Digital materials
Scrapbook Containing Photographs of Edie and Thea Through the Years
Articles and Press Clippings, 2007-2014, inclusive
Articles and Press Clippings -- NYU Alumni Magazine Article and Related, 2011
Artworks -- Purchasing and Artist Information, 1970-1981, inclusive
Bicentennial Party Slide Images, July 4, 1976
Birthday Party for Friend Chuck, and Thea and Edie Swimming in Ocean, circa 1988-1989, inclusive
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston Trip Documentation, 1992
Budgets and Income/Expense Spreadsheets, 1999-2009, inclusive
Digital materials
Charitable Contributions Documentation, 2005
Christmas and Patsy's Graduation Party Photographs and Negatives, 1980
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Arn and Manfred, undated, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Buxbaum, Dev, 1953-1971, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Dean, Nancy, 1967-1997, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Sexton, Elaine, 1996-1997, undated, inclusive
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Spyer, Dick (Thea Cousin), 2001
Correspondence, Alphabetical -- Winkler, Judith and Dalia, 1980-2004, inclusive
Correspondence Between Edie and Thea, 1965-2005, inclusive
Paper
Digital File
Digital materials
Correspondence, Chronological, 1965-2009, inclusive
Paper, 1965-2009, inclusive
Digital Files, 2003-2008, inclusive
Digital materials
Dinner at Laura and Itsy's -- Slide Images, 1982
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- Correspondence, Promotional Material, Posters, Film Festival Appearance Planning, 2009-2010, inclusive
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- Digital Video Recording of Edie Answering Questions for Screening Event
Digital materials
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- San Francisco Premiere and Other Film Festivals, June 21 and September 2009
Promotional Material
Photographs
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- Film Festivals, 2010
Promotional Material
Photographs
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- Digital Video Recording Interview Clips Sent to Edie by Filmmakers
Digital materials
Documentary -- Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement -- Film Festivals, 2011-2012, 2015, inclusive
Promotional Material
Digital Images, 2015
Digital materials
Domestic Partnership, March 1, 1993
Documentation and Notes
Photograph
Dotty and Sheila's 5th Anniversary Party Photographs, 1981
Dr. Marcia Storch Memorial Service Planning, 1999
Edie and Thea at the Beach Photographs, August-September 1969
Edie and Thea Attending and Hosting Parties Images, 1969-2009, inclusive
Photographs, 1969
Photographs, circa 1970s-1980s, inclusive
Photographs, 1974
Photographs, circa 1980s, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1980s-1990s, inclusive
Photographs, circa mid-1980s - 1990s, inclusive
Slide Images, September 1986
Photographs, circa 2000-2009, inclusive
Edie and Thea Posing and Portrait Images, 1969-2009, inclusive
Photograph, September 14, 1969
Photographs and Contact Sheet, January 7, 1974
Photographs, 1975
Slide Images, 1984
Photographs, March 1986
Photographs, 1994
Digital Images by Neville Elder, May 29, 2007
Digital materials
Photographs, circa 2000-2009, inclusive
Photographs of Wheelchair Dancing, circa 2007-2009, inclusive
Edie and Thea Posing at The Met Cloisters, and Restaurant Photographs and Slides, December 1965
Edie Birthday Photographs and Slides, June 1967, inclusive
Edie Birthday Slide Images, June 1984
Edie Building a Harpsichord, Thea On Couch, and Party -- Photographs and Negatives, 1965-1966, inclusive
Edie Pre- and Post-Surgery -- Photographs and Slides, November 1970
Estates and Trusts -- Thea's Wills, Correspondence, Health/Legal Directives, and Related Documents, 1987-2004, inclusive
Estates and Trusts -- Correspondence, Notes, 2004
Digital materials
Estates and Trusts -- WINSPY LLC Partnership Documents, 2006
Digital materials
Estates and Trusts -- Thea's Death Letters Testamentary, Estate Probate Proceedings, Closing Thea's Practice, 2009-2010, inclusive
Paper
Digital Files
Digital materials
Estates and Trusts -- Financial Exhibits for Thea's Estate, 2009-2010, inclusive
Estates and Trusts -- Financial Analysis and Tax Returns and Resubmissions, 2009-2013, inclusive
Friend Participating in the International Games for the Disabled Summer Olympics Photographs, 1984
Friends, Edie, and Thea Photographs, May 1987
Friends, Edie, and Thea Photographs, 1993, April-May 1998, inclusive
Friends, Family, Edie, and Thea Photographs, 2004, circa 2005-2009, inclusive
Friends Dev and Shelly Photographs, circa 2000-2017, inclusive
Halloween with Edie and Thea Dressed as Bride and Groom Photographs and Negatives, October 1981
Halloween Party at Edie and Thea Apartment Photographs, October 1986
Health History and Documentation (1977-2008) for Thea, 2008
Home Healthcare-Related, 1986-2008, inclusive
Lifts and Other Related Assistance Booklets, Advertisements for Home Healthcare Aids
Photographs of Accessible Bedroom and Bathroom, Wheelchair Cushions
Home Health Aid Duty Lists
Digital materials
Household Expenses and Investment Notes, 1979, 2007, undated, inclusive
Investments Reports, 1971, 1982, 1997, inclusive
Jon Rieder (Edie Nephew) Wedding Photographs, March 1981
Jury Duty-Related Documents, 1988-2007, inclusive
Mary Mulligan Memorial Photographs, July 1985
Memorial Day Weekend at Teddie and Elaine's Photographs, May 29, 1993
MJ Birthday Party Slide Images, Summer 1984
"Mrs. Fordham's" Hamptons Summer Rental House Weekends, and Edie's Engagement Pin -- Photographs and Slides, Summer 1966-January 1967, inclusive
National MS Society New York Chapter Event Material, 1998
New Year's Eve Party, 1991-1992, inclusive
Planning Notes
Photographs and Negatives
Notebooks and Notes -- Party Planning, circa 1970s, inclusive
Notebooks and Notes -- Thea Health Journal, Financial Notes, House Renovation To-Do Lists, circa 1980s-2009, inclusive
Notebooks and Notes -- Thea's Memorial Service Planning, Financial Analysis Notes, 2008-2010, inclusive
Notebooks and Notes -- Health Journal, Renovations, undated, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Edie and Thea with Friends, Family, on the Beach, 1964-1965, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Parties, Trips, and Wall of Edie's Wigs, August 1971 - March 1972, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Party for FAH-801 Cut-Off 3-month Reunion Group, October 19, 1973
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Edie, Thea, and Friend Posing in Different Outfits, 1973
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) -- Pool Party at Corinne's, Tuckahoe Lane House Exteriors, Nudes of Thea and Edie, 1973-1974, inclusive
Photograph Album (Deconstructed) and Negatives -- Family Events, Visitors, Thea, Edie, and Trips to Family and Friends, 1981-1983, inclusive
Photograph Album -- Portraits of Edie, Backyard at Tuckahoe Lane House, 1992, 1999, inclusive
Proof for Bruce Weber "All-American Series" Booklet on Edie and Thea: "Let Us Live, Let Us Love", 2013
Rosh Hashanah and Thea's 50th Birthday Slide Images, October 1981
Savings Account Register / Journal, 1998-2000, inclusive
Slide Image Descriptions and Lists Removed from Storage Containers, 1966-1981, inclusive
Softball Game with Edie, Thea, and Friends, and Thea Golfing Photographs, circa 1970s, inclusive
Song Lyrics for A Circle of Diamonds and I Could Fall in Love by Dan Martin and Michael Bello, 2015
Thanksgiving with Friends Photographs, circa 1980s, inclusive
Thanksgiving with Dolly (Edie Sister) and Family Slide Images, November 1980
Thanksgiving with Friends Slide Images, November 1986
Thanksgiving with Friend Photographs, November 1994
Thanksgiving Digital Images, 2004
Digital materials
"Thea and Edie, A Love Story. 1965 until Death Do Us Part" Photograph Booklet, circa 2007
Thea Medical-Related Notes and Spreadsheets, 2003-2008, inclusive
Digital materials
Thea Memorial Planning and Bereavement Reply Cards, 2009
Thea in Stand-Up Wheelchair Photographs, March 30, 1991
Thea in Wheelchair Attending Abilities Expo Photographs, circa 1990s-2000s, inclusive
Travel -- Suriname, South America, December 1965 - January 1966, inclusive
Guide Book, Press Clippings, Slide Storage Box Description
Paramaribo and Jungle Village Slide Images
Travel -- Image Lists from Trips from 1965 to 1981, circa 1980s
Travel -- St. Thomas, Pacific Northwest, and Hambletonian Spa Slide Images, 1968
Travel -- St. Thomas Slide Images, January 1969
Travel -- Stoneybrook Slide Images, January 1969
Travel -- Europe and Tangier Trip Photographs and Slide Images, June 1969
Travel -- Saba Slide Images, January 1972
Travel -- France and Italy Slide Images, September/October 1972
Travel -- Grenada Slide Images, January 1973
Travel -- Puerto Rico Slide Images, May 1974
Travel -- Newport and Nantucket Slide Images, September 1974
Travel -- Vieques Slide Images, December 1977
Travel -- European Trip Notes Itineraries, March 1978
Travel -- Holland, June 1978
Driving Permit, Medical Notes, Planning Notes
Slide Images, Driving Permit Photographs
Travel -- Israel Slide Images, January 1980
Travel -- St. Barth's with Kathy Marx and Pat Mullen, January 1981
Planning Notes
Photographs, Slides, and Negatives
Travel -- Israel Slide Images, April 30-May 26, 1981
Travel -- Jerusalem and Egypt, 1981, undated
Travel -- St. Maarten Notes, Rental Agreements, Correspondence, 1981-1982, inclusive
Travel -- Paris Photographs, 1997
Travel -- Paris Planning Notebook, May 18-31, 2002
Travel -- Paris Planning Files, 2002
Digital materials
Travel -- Clothing and Medication Packing Lists, undated, inclusive
Tuckahoe Lane House, circa 1960s-2000s, inclusive
Photographs -- Back Yard, 1960s-1970s, inclusive
Slide Images -- Exterior, Edie, Thea, October 1969
Photographs and Slides -- Yard, Pool, Visitors, Edie's Mother, Edie Posing Nude, Thea, Spring-Summer 1970, inclusive
Photographs and Contact Sheets -- Friends, Parties, 1970s-1980s, inclusive
Slide Images -- Exterior, Edie, Thea, May-October 1971
Photographs -- Edie, Thea, Yard, May 1972
Slide Images -- Exterior, Edie, Thea, 1974-1976, inclusive
Slide Images -- Yard and Pool Renovations, Tool House, Spring 1976
Slide Images -- Yard and Pool, Interiors, Edie Posing, May-July 1976
Slides and Photograph -- Yard, Visitors, Home Improvement, 1977
Slide Images -- Visitors, Interior, Exterior, Spring 1978
Photographs and Slides -- Thea, Edie, Visitors, House Renovations, Summer 1979
Photographs -- Family Party, Visitors, Summer 1980
Slide Images -- Edie's Family Visit, 1981
Photographs -- Interior and Exteriors, 1981, undated, inclusive
Slide Images -- Visitors, Parties, Wheelchair Delivery, Summer-Fall 1982
Slide Images -- Visitors, Edie, Thea, Summer 1983
Slide Images -- Playwright's Day Party, 1984
Photographs -- Roof Replacement, May 1985
Slide Images -- Post-Hurricane Damage, September/October 1985
Slide Images -- Guests, Edie, Thea, October 1985
Slide Images -- Yard, Edie, 1986
Photographs -- Exterior and Yard, circa 1990s-2000s, inclusive
Photographs -- Edie and Thea At Pool with Guests, 1990
Photographs and Negatives -- Hurricane Damage, 1991
Photographs and Negatives -- Edie, Thea, Guests, Yard and Interior Renovations, June-August 1992
Photographs -- Family Visit, Yard, Summer 1993
Photographs -- Edie's Bedroom and Basement Renovation, 1997, undated, inclusive
Photographs -- Thea and Suki at the Pool, circa 2000-2007, inclusive
Photographs -- Edie and Thea in the Pool, August 2008
Tax Assessment, 2006
Licensing Agreement of Property, 2016
Visit to Anne MacKay's Home -- Photographs, Summer 1992
Visit to Friends at Meadowlark -- Slide Images, Summer 1979
Washington Square Park Photographs, Spring 1981
Wedding -- Planning Notebook, circa 2006-2007, inclusive
Wedding -- Planning Documentation, Correspondence, Vows, 2007
Digital materials
Wedding -- Harvey Brownstone Correspondence, Ceremony Planning, 2007
Wedding -- License and Other Documentation, 2007
Wedding -- Images of Toronto, Canada Travel and Ceremony, 2007
Photographs
Digital Images
Digital materials
Digital Video Recording of Ceremony
Digital materials
Wedding -- New York Times Marriage Announcement, May 27, 2007
Drafts, Final Version
Photograph Shoot Images and Negatives
Yom Kippur Dinner Party -- Photographs, 1986
Series II. Professional, 1950-2010, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials related to the professional lives of Edie Windsor, a computer programmer, and Thea Spyer, a clinical psychologist. Windsor worked primarily at IBM, beginning in the late 1950s, a period when computing was a predominantly male field, and then later ran her own consulting business in the 1980s. Spyer maintained a private practice for most of her career, up until her death in 2009, also working within a profession where women were underrepresented at the time. Materials include professional correspondence, published papers, records from professional organizations, and resumes. These materials reflect their careers and the professional environments they navigated.
Arrangement
This series is arranged into two subseries:
Subseries II.A. Edie Windsor
Subseries II.B. Thea Spyer
Subseries II.A. Edie Windsor, 1950-2010, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries documents Edie Windsor's professional career as a computer programmer, beginning in the late 1950s, at a time when the field was predominantly male. Due to her rarity in the field, Windsor was frequently highlighted in IBM's promotional materials and newsletters as a visible example of a woman succeeding in computing. Windsor was also actively involved in professional programming and personal computer communities throughout her career.
Her academic foundation in the field is documented through her college papers and 1957 master's thesis from New York University. Her work as a technical manager at IBM from the late 1950s through the 1970s and then again in the mid-1980s is represented through memos, performance appraisals, and photographs. Windsor's participation in professional organizations is also well documented in this subseries through planning documents, publications, correspondence, and membership applications related to the International Dbase Users Group (IDBUG). In the 1980s, as personal computing became more widespread, Windsor became a founding member of the Board of Directors for the New York PC Users Group (NYPC), serving in various roles through the years. NYPC materials in this subseries include meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, and newsletters. Programs and notes from professional conferences are in this subseries, and of note is material from the 1987 National Computer Conference.
This subseries also contains records from Windsor's consulting company, PC Classics, Inc., founded in 1985. Materials include promotional brochures, programming code, correspondence, and client files. Notably, Windsor worked with several LGBTQ+ organizations to help improve their technology practices, particularly in managing mailing lists. Under PC Classics, she also developed her own accounting software for personal computers, known as Windsor's Disburse Program. Documentation for this program includes a user manual, order form, and program disk.
Windsor's prominence in the computing world is reflected in her media coverage, within 1984 articles in New York Magazine and Psychology Today, along with accompanying photographs. Additional materials include her resumes, business cards, and letterhead spanning from the late 1950s through the 1990s.
APL Language for IBM Personal Computer Documentation, 1983-1986, inclusive
Articles and Press Clippings -- PC Magazine, September 1983
Articles and Press Clippings -- New York Magazine and Psychology Today, January and September 1984
Articles on Home Computers Featuring Edie
Photographs for Articles
Business Cards, circa 1958-2009, inclusive
Computer Conferences and Workshops -- General, 1979-1991, inclusive
Computer Conferences and Workshops -- The National Computer Conference, Chicago, June 15-18, 1987
Program, Notes
Photographs
Computer Conferences and Workshops -- Microsoft Database Technical Summit, August 26-29, 1992
Correspondence on AJAX Routine, 1957-1958, inclusive
Dick Bard -- Correspondence, Source Code Sheets, 1996, 2005, undated, inclusive
DIF Programming Research and Documentation, 1981-1984, inclusive
Dissertation (NYU) -- Iterative Solutions of Biharmonic Difference... and related Correspondence, 1957-1977, inclusive
Employment Applications, Letters, Timecards, 1950-2010, inclusive
IBM Appraisal Forms, Letters, Brochure with Windsor's Image, 1960-1964, inclusive
IBM Newsletter IBM News, December 16, 1965
IBM Photographs of Edie Working, 1965-1973, inclusive
IBM Photographs of Offices, circa 1987-1989, inclusive
IBM Correspondence, 1988, 2005-2007, inclusive
IDBUG (The International Dbase Users Group) -- Plans, Journal Publication, Letters, Application Forms, 1988-1990, inclusive
IDBUG (The International Dbase Users Group) -- XIDBUG Advisory Group, 1995
New York PC Users Group (NYPC) -- Reports, Correspondence, Newsletters, Board Minutes, 1982-1988, inclusive
Paper -- Toward a Technology for Evaluation, September 1963
Paper -- Coding for Performance Writing Outline, undated, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Client Material -- First Editions Wallcoverings and Fabrics, Inc., 1980
PC Classics, Inc. -- Client Material -- Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, Inc., 1984-1987, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Source Code Related to Bonds, 1984
PC Classics, Inc. -- Database System Forms for Law Office, circa 1985
PC Classics, Inc. -- Windsor's Disburse Program User Guide, Order Form, 1985
PC Classics, Inc. -- Correspondence, Forms, Source Code, PC-Outline Information, 1986-1992, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Completed Consultant Questionnaire and Related, 1988
PC Classics, Inc. -- Client Material -- Bogue Electronic Manufacturing Co., 1988-1989, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Correspondence and Biographical Sketch, 1989
PC Classics, Inc. -- Client Material -- Materials for the Arts, Proposal, 1990-1991, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Rate Schedule, circa 1980s-1990s, inclusive
PC Classics, Inc. -- Programming Notes and Documentation for Swim Team, circa 1980s-1990s, inclusive
Presentation Notes on Standards, February 3, 1964
Resumes and Notes, 1950-2008, inclusive
Source Code for Programs, Notes, 1969-1996, inclusive
Univac Printer Program Message Created by Windsor, circa 1950s, inclusive
Xbase Language Standard Committee Reports and Meeting Notes, 1992-1993, inclusive
Subseries II.B. Thea Spyer, 1960-2009, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains materials documenting the career of clinical psychologist Thea Spyer, who began practicing in institutional settings in the 1960s before establishing a private practice, which she maintained until her death in 2009. Her 1962 Ph.D. dissertation, along with professional journal articles from the 1970s, reflect her academic background and continued contributions to the field.
Materials from her work at the Institute for the Crippled and Disabled (now The International Center for the Disabled) date from the 1960s and include brochures, letterhead, newsletters, photographs, and employee evaluations, providing insight into her early career and professional environment. The subseries also includes resumes and business cards from various stages of her career, documenting her sustained involvement in clinical psychology over several decades.
Processing Information
Select creator-supplied titles containing ableist language were identified in this subseries, but have been retained to convey important contextual information regarding time and place in which the documents and titles were created.
Article -- Therapy of Multiple Personality, 1971
Article -- Ethical Problems and Some Guidelines, 1972
Business Cards and Stationary, circa 1960s-2009, inclusive
Institute for the Crippled and Disabled, 1963-1967, inclusive
Brochures, Letterhead, Newsletters, Work Evaluations
Photograph of Thea and Co-Workers
Ph.D. Dissertation -- Test Retest Stability of Rorschach…, October 1962
Resumes, 1960s-1970s, inclusive
Series III. Activism, 1969-2024, inclusive
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials documenting the involvement of Edie Windsor, Thea Spyer, and later on Windsor's second wife, Judith Kasen-Windsor, in various LGBTQ+ organizations based in the New York City and Long Island areas. Their participation is reflected through records related to events, volunteer activities, and community engagement. The series also includes Windsor's files related to the 2013 Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, in which she successfully challenged Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The case resulted in the extension of federal rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples.
Arrangement
This series is arranged into three subseries:
Subseries III.A. Events and Appearances
Subseries III.B. Organizations
Subseries III.C. United States v. Windsor
Processing Information
Select creator-supplied titles containing homophobic language were identified in this series, but have been retained to convey important contextual information regarding time and place in which the documents and titles were created. Additionally, incomplete acrynyms for various groups of communities may be incomplete, but were retained in file title descriptions because the groups using them chose to be described that way during that time period.
Subseries III.A. Events and Appearances, 1969, 1981-2022, inclusive
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series documents Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer's involvement in a wide range of events and appearances primarily organized by LGBTQ+ and allied organizations from the 1980s to the 2010s. In the earlier years, Windsor and Spyer often attended events as supporters or community participants. As their visibility grew, particularly following their 2007 marriage, the couple was increasingly recognized for their contributions to LGBTQ+ advocacy. After the 2013 United States v. Windsor Supreme Court case decision, Windsor's event appearances increased as she suddenly became a well-known public figure in her 80s. Her rigorous schedule of events which are represented in this subseries is centered on honoring her achievements, celebrating her public advocacy, or highlighting her cultural significance. Towards the end of Windsor's life she was accompanied by her spouse Judith Kasen-Windsor, who is also active in the LGBTQ+ community. Files dated after Windsor's death document events attended by Judith, who honored and carried on Windsor's legacy through her own activism.
The majority of event and appearance files date from the 1980s though 2020s and typically include programs, schedules, invitations, speech text, press clippings, correspondence, publicity materials, print and digital photographs, and digital video event recordings.
Several of these events within the subseries span over multiple years, including the New York City Gay Pride Parade and the SAGE Awards and Dinner Gala–two organizations that were deeply important to both women. Other events of note include the East End Women for the Arts' off-Broadway show Taking Liberties; the first National Lesbian Conference (1991); and The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation Exhibit and Fundraiser from 2021.
Arrangement
Material within this subseries is arranged in chronological order.
March on Washington Vietnam War Protest -- Photographs and Slides, November 15, 1969
Art Exhibit Installation -- Photographs, circa 1980s-1990s, inclusive
NYC Gay Pride Day and Parade -- Slide Images, June 28, 1981
The East End Women for the Arts -- Event Programs and Meeting Notes, 1982-1993, inclusive
The East End Women for the Arts' Off-Broadway Show Taking Liberties, March 30-31, 1984
Work Notebook
Photographs, Slides, and Negatives
NYC Gay Pride Parade Lavender Line -- Photographs, June 1985
Annual Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE) Awards -- Photograph, December 1985
The Matrix Fundraiser -- Photographs, June 1986
Reception at 5th Avenue Apartment -- Slide Images, November 1986
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC) Meeting -- Photographs, 1986
SAGE Strategic Planning Meeting -- Slide Images, March 1987
West Coast Old Lesbian Conference and Celebration, April 24-26, 1987
Notes, Program, Newsletters
Photographs and Negatives
NYC Gay Pride Day and Parade (Windsor and Spyer, Grand Marshals), June 28, 1987
Lambda's 15th Anniversary Celebration, May 8, 1989
West Coast Old Lesbian Conference and Celebration, August 4-6, 1989
Meeting Including Edie and Group -- Photographs, circa 1980s, inclusive
SAGE Dance Marathon (Windsor and Spyer Won), January 27, 1990
Schedules, Promotional Material, Instructions, Sponsor Material, Dance Number
Photographs and Negatives
NYC Gay Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 21, 1990
EEGO Benson Raffle Party -- Photograph, June 1990
National Lesbian Conference (Atlanta, Georgia), April 24-28, 1991
Schedules, Clippings, Program, Correspondence, Notes
Photographs and Negatives
NYC Gay Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 30, 1991
NYC Gay Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 28, 1992
The 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, April 23, 1993
Program Guide
Photographs and Negatives
NYC Gay Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 27, 1993
Memorial for Barbara Phelan, 1993
Gay Games IV and Cultural Festival, June 16-25, 1994
25th Anniversary of Stonewall Riots -- Photographs, 1994
Goldfarb and Freeman Wedding (Windsor is Speaker), November 30, 1997
The Annual Uncommon Woman Garden Party and Summer Casino, 1999-2000, inclusive
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation Creating Change Conference (SAGE and OLOC), November 9-13, 2000
Informational Material, Schedules, Notes, Correspondence
Photographs and Negatives
SAGE Event with Edie and Group -- Photograph, circa 2000-2006, inclusive
Old Queers Acting Up Event with SAGE -- Photographs, April 18, 2005
10th Annual SAGE Awards, November 13, 2005
Promotional and Planning Material
Digital Video Recording
Digital materials
Annual SAGE Awards -- Photographs, circa 2005-2006, inclusive
Empire State Pride -- New York City Marriage Ambassador Training, June 5-6, 2006
Unknown Event with Edie and Group -- Photograph, June 11, 2006
Outdoor Event with Edie and Thea -- Photograph, June 2006
11th Annual SAGE Awards, October 30, 2006
Human Rights Award Presentation to Dr. Barbara Rosen, circa 2006, inclusive
SAGE Awards Dinner, 2007
Event with Edie and Thea -- Photograph, January 2008
5th Anniversary of the Passage of Canada's Civil Marriage Act Event -- Photographs, June 14, 2008
Irish Arts Center Event -- Photographs, 2008
NYC Gay Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 28, 2009
Hamptons Tea Dance -- Photographs, July 11, 2009
Edie Posing with Group at Unknown Parade / Protest, November 4, 2009
15th SAGE Awards and Gala, October 25, 2010
Planning Materials, Program, Invitation
Lifetime Achievement Award Speakers Dorothy Sander, Karen Sauvign, and Edie Windsor Digital Video Recordings
Digital materials
Bless Bless Productions Video Montage for Edie -- Digital Video Recording
Digital materials
Speeches and Partial Speeches for Various Events, 2010-2017, inclusive
Marriage Equality New York Trailblazer Award Ceremony, May 19, 2011
Planning Materials, Program, Speech Text, Press Clipping
Digital Photographs
Digital materials
EEGO Memorial Day Event Digital Photographs, May 30, 2011
Digital materials
ACLU Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Ceremony, June 6, 2011
Planning Material, Speech Text
Digital Video Recording
Digital materials
New York City Council -- A Celebration of LGBT Pride, June 16, 2011
Program, Planning Correspondence, Proclamation Certificate
Digital Images
Digital materials
ACLU at The Center Garden Party -- Digital Images, June 19, 2011
Digital materials
25th Anniversary of the ACLU LGBT and AIDS Project, June 21, 2011
Invitation, Speech Text, Planning Material
Digital Images
Digital materials
New York City Gay Pride Parade, June 26, 2011
Print Photograph
Digital Images
Digital materials
SAGE Announcement for Gay Pride Parades in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, June 2011
Various Events at Pride Week with Windsor Attending, June 2011
SAGE Creating Change Conference, January 26, 2012
NOW Susan B. Anthony Award Ceremony, February 15, 2012
Planning Material, Program, Speech Text
Digital Images
Digital materials
The Loft Annual Benefit Gala, March 10, 2012
Planning Material, Program
Digital Images
Digital materials
Callen-Lorde Spring Fever Healthy Sexy Women Event, April 19, 2012
Speech Text, Planning and Promotional Material
Digital Images
Digital materials
Congregation Rodeph Sholom LGBT Pride Shabbat, June 1, 2012
Christine Quinn for Mayor Event, June 12, 2012
NYC Gay Pride Parade, June 24, 2012
Print Photographs
Digital Images
Digital materials
NewFest Visionary Award Ceremony, July 27, 2012
Callen-Lorde Community Health Award Introduction for Recipient Paul Weiss, November 5, 2012
Event with Edie and Roberta Kaplan -- Photograph, December 8, 2012
EEGO Outdoor Event with Edie and Roberta Kaplan -- Photographs, 2012
The National Conferences on LGBT Equality-Creating Change, 2012-2013, inclusive
Event at 5th Avenue Apartment with Edie, Frank, and Zach -- Photograph, circa 2012-2013, inclusive
Various Events with Edie and Others -- Photographs, circa 2012-2017, inclusive
"We are All Edie" March, 2013
The Center Dinner, April 11, 2013
New York Times Magazine Question and Answer Document, April 19, 2013
Cardozo School of Law Discussion and Dinner, April 23, 2013
Family Equality Council Introduction of Roberta Kaplan, April 29, 2013
Village Independent Democrats Annual Awards Celebration, May 2, 2013
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) 20th Anniversary Gala, May 10, 2013
Planning Material, Program
Digital Images
Digital materials
NYU Presidential Medal Ceremony and Related, May 22, 2013
LGBT Pride Month at the White House, June 13, 2013
New York City Pride Parade, Grand Marshal, June 30, 2013
Notes, Correspondence, etc.
Photographs by B. Proud
Oversized Photographic Prints
Digital Images
Digital materials
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Reception and Video Interview Preparation Material, July 18, 2013
GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) Summer Party in Provincetown, July 27, 2013
Gay Pride Iceland, July 31, 2013
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) Center Opening, August 10, 2013
The Feminist Press at CUNY Annual Hamptons Cocktail Party, August 25, 2013
The LOFT's Anniversary Benefit Gala, September 7, 2013
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Kol Nidre Services, September 13, 2013
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) Interview Event, September 13, 2013
New York Constitution Day Luncheon for the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, September 17, 2013
Esquire Magazine Interview, September 19, 2013
Out Magazine Video Shoot, Photograph Shoot, Event, September-October 2013
Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Trailblazer of Democracy Award Luncheon, October 2, 2013
New Yorker Festival -- "In Conversation: Edith Windsor with Ariel Levy", October 6, 2013
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Celebration, October 8, 2013
Stanford Marriage Equality Conference Panel, October 11-12, 2013
PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) of New York City Awards Dinner, October 14, 2013
NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science Dean's Day Award Lunch, October 19, 2013
SAGE Awards Gala, October 21, 2013
Williams Institute Fall Reception, November 7, 2013
Time Magazine Photograph Shoot and Interview, November 11, 2013
American Spirit Award for Citizen Activism Event, November 13, 2013
The Center Lunches, October, November 2013
NPR Interview on The Takeaway, December 26, 2013
Christine Quinn Mayoral Campaign Video Message, 2013
Event with Edie and Others, circa 2013-2014, inclusive
Olivia Cruise Vacation and Appearances, December 28, 2013 - January 4, 2014, inclusive
Schedules, etc.
Photograph of Edie with Passengers
Edie's Out Women Summit Proposal, December 2013
Edie Attending New York Liberty Basketball Game -- Photograph, circa 2013-2017, inclusive
List of Windsor's Awards for 2013-2014, 2014
"The Case That Changed History" with Roberta Kaplan, at the 92nd Street Y, January 7, 2014
Queens Pride Winter Gala -- Photograph, January 2014
Olivia Cruise Vacation and Appearance, February 2-8, 2014
France State Dinner at the White House Attended by Windsor and Julie Mulligan, February 11, 2014
Planning Correspondence, Press Clippings
Photographs
Congressman Jerry Nadler Reception, February 24, 2014
"A Conversation with Edie Windsor with Suzanne Goldberg" at Columbia University, February 28, 2014
Jewish Home Lifecare 80 Over 80 Celebration, March 5, 2014
Program, Press Clippings, Notes, Correspondence
Photographs
LeGAL Award Presentation to Mary Bonauto, March 20, 2014
Opening Night of Terrance McNally's Broadway Show Mothers and Sons, March 24, 2014
Night of a Thousand Gowns, March 29, 2014
NYU Alumni Luncheon for Eugene J. Keogh Award Presentation, April 24, 2014
Event Program, Ticket, Speech Text, Correspondence, Certificate
Photographs
Brooklyn Community Pride Center Founders' Ball, April 24, 2014
GOAL (Gay Officers Action League) Awards Banquet, April 25, 2014
"Edie Windsor: Unlikely Activist" Temple University Events, April 26, 2014
Promotional and Planning Material
Alumni Fellow Certificate
Photographs of Edie with People
Equality Florida St. Petersburg Gala, May 1-4, 2014
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Benefit, May 19, 2014
Johns Hopkins University Honorary Doctorate Given to Edie, May 22, 2014
Speech Text, Program, Correspondence, Press Clipping, Certificate
Photographs
Homeless Youth Rally, June 2, 2014
Huffington Post Interview with Roberta Kaplan, June 5, 2014
Long Island Pride Parade (Edie, Grand Marshal), June 14, 2014
Dinner / Dance of The Alliance, June 17, 2014
DNC LGBT Gala, June 17, 2014
ACLU Interview, June 21, 2014
USA Today Interview Questions and Answers, June 22, 2014
LOGO TV Trailblazers Award with Roberta Kaplan, June 23, 2014
World Pride Event in Toronto, Canada, June 25, 2014
Event Itinerary, Speech Text, Notes, Press Clippings
Photographs
American Federation of Teachers Women's Rights Award Event, July 14, 2014
Rebecca Seawright Fundraiser, August 7, 2014
PFLAG of New York City Lunch, September 15, 2014
Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Center Lane Fundraiser, September 18, 2014
DNC LGBT Gala, September 27, 2014
Florida Governor Rick Scott Video Script for Windsor Message, September 2014
MTV / LOGO Speaker Session, October 16, 2014
SAGE Awards Gala, October 20, 2014
Ali Forney Event, October 24, 2014
Point Foundation's David Mixner Show, Oh Hell No!, October 27, 2014
Correspondence, Notes, Promotional Material
Photographs
Visiting Nurse Service of New York Staff Retreat, October 30, 2014
Promotional Material, Registration Form
Photographs
Callen-Lorde Thea Spyer Center for Integrated Health Opening Announcement and Event Material, November 6, 2014
Women's Event, Fundraiser for The Center, November 15, 2014
Callen-Lorde Community Health Awards, November 17, 2014
SAGE Women's Holiday Tea Hosted by Edie Windsor, December 7, 2014
ACLU Questions for Magazine Interview, 2014
Amsterdam Pride Parade, 2014
Event Press Clippings and Articles, 2014-2017, inclusive
The Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, February 3, 2015
SAGE National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative Launch, February 3, 2015
James Madison High School Wall of Distinction for Marjorie Ellen Sherwin, February 16, 2015
The Center Women's Luncheon, March 7, 2015
Metropolitan Museum of Art Women's History Celebration, March 9, 2015
GMHC Spring Gala, March 23, 2015
An Evening with B. Proud Event "First Comes Love: Portraits of Enduring LGBTQ Relationships", March 26, 2015
Broadway Show Fun Home, Event, and Windsor Comments for Show Program, March 28, 2015
The Center Dinner and Cocktail Hour, April 2, 2015
Callen-Lorde Spring Fever Event, April 9, 2015
Promotional Material, Correspondence
Photograph
Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps and Symphonic Band New York State of Mind Award, April 11, 2015
Equality Florida (EQFL) Lifetime Achievement Award to Rose Walton, May 29, 2015
SAGE Centers Event, June 12, 2015
Marriage Equality Rally in Sheridan Square, June 16 and 26, 2015
Human Rights Campaign Online Birthday Message with Windsor Image and Quote, June 2015
Equality Forum Award and 50th Anniversary-LGBT Civil Rights Movement in Philadelphia, July 4, 2015
Empire State Pride Agenda Hamptons Tea Dance -- Photograph, July 18, 2015
GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) Annual Summer Party in Provincetown, July 25, 2015
IBM-LGBT Meeting, October 2, 2015
Lesbians Who Tech Summit, October 2, 2015
Promotional Material, Stickers, Schedule, Press Release, Article
Photograph
Carol Movie Premiere, October 9, 2015
Clare Coss Birthday Celebration, October 13, 2015
SAGE Awards and Gala, October 19, 2015
Program, Speech Draft, Press Clipping, Correspondence
Photographs
Institute for Retired Professionals Presents: "Edith Windsor: An Unlikely Activist" -- Including Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement Film Viewing and Discussion, October 30, 2015
Women's Event, Fundraiser for The Center, November 7, 2015
Callen-Lorde Community Health Awards, November 9, 2015
Out Magazine Top 100 Event Red Carpet, November 11, 2015
NYU Skirball Gala with Terrance McNally and Tom Kirdahy, November 16, 2015
Geriatrics Patient Panel with Medical Students, November 18, 2015
PCYP (Peter Cicchino Youth Project) Event, November 19, 2015
St. Pat's for All Documentary Interview, November 24, 2015
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah "Architects of the LGBTQ Movement Discussion Series with Roberta Kaplan", December 17, 2015
Equality Florida Gala, 2015
History in the Making: A Grassroots Fights for Marriage Equality Documentary Film Poster, 2015
Digital Images from 2015 Events, 2015
Digital materials
Brendan Fay Nomination for President's Award for Irish Community Support, by Windsor, 2015-2016, inclusive
Buzzfeed Interview Along with Roberta Kaplan, January 6, 2016
Hamptons LGBT Center Donor Reception, February 11, 2016
Terrance McNally Documentary Interview, February 15, 2016
New York Fashion Week Party for USO, February 17, 2016
Lesbians Who Tech Summit, February 25, 2016
Gay City News Impact Awards, March 3, 2016
St. Pat's For All Parade, March 6, 2016
Program, Press Clipping
Photograph
Women's History Month Awards Ceremony, March 24, 2016
Live Out Loud Young Trailblazers Gala, April 25, 2016
Program, Promotional Material, Speech Draft
Photograph
Third Annual AMPA (American Military Partner Association) National Gala, May 7, 2016
Program, Speech Draft, Press Clipping, Correspondence
Photograph
Twenty Summers Fundraiser for Hawthorne Barn in Provincetown, May 7, 2016
Edie's Backyard BBQ, for LGBT Network's Hamptons Center in Sag Harbor, May 28, 2016
Inspire Awards-International Icon Award, May 2016
Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) 18th Annual School's Out Cocktail Party -- Photograph, June 11, 2016
NYC Pride Parade -- Photographs, June 26, 2016
16th Annual LGBT Prom -- Photographs, June 30, 2016
Stonewall National Monument Designation, June 2016
Hamptons Tea Dance, July 16, 2016
Promotional Material, Correspondence, Articles
Photograph
Edie, Jeannette, and Ellen's Summer Dance Bash, August 27, 2016
Lesbians Who Tech Summit Coding Meetup, September 22, 2016
Program, Schedule, Notes
Photograph
The Loft LGBT Community Center Annual Gala, October 1, 2016
Callen-Lorde Thea Spyer Center for Integrated Health Ribbon Cutting, November 3, 2016
Women's Event, Fundraiser for The Center, November 5, 2016
"An Evening with Edie Windsor" Screening of Two Documentaries, November 17, 2016
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club's Autumn Reception and Awards Ceremony, November 30, 2016
Windsor's Open Letter to LGBT Community for Hillary Clinton and Democratic Congress, November 2016
White House Holiday Reception, December 13, 2016
Interview for Lorraine Hansberry Documentary, December 20, 2016
Obama Foundation Interview, December 21, 2016
National Council of Jewish Women -- Washington Institute, 2016
NYC's Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corp Marching Band Event -- Photograph, circa 2016-2017, inclusive
Correspondence -- Appearance Requests, 2016-2017, inclusive
Various Events for Bill de Blasio Mayoral Campaign, 2016-2017, inclusive
Edie and Judith Windsor-Kasen at Various Events -- Photographs, circa 2016-2017, inclusive
St. Pat's For All Celebrations, March 3, 2017
Spence School Visit -- Thank You Cards from Students, March 8, 2017
SAGE She Event, March 16, 2017
GMHC Spring Gala, March 23, 2017
Promotional Material, Invitation, Notecard
Photographs -- Edie, Judith, Chelsea Clinton, Roberta Kaplan
Gay City News Impact Awards Gala, March 30, 2017
FEC (Family Equality Council) Gala, May 5, 2017
Unknown Event / Interview Transcript with Windsor, May 11, 2017
Edie's BBQ Party at Southampton House, May 26, 2017
Event Flier, Thank You Letter
Photographs
Capital Pride Parade (Grand Marshal), June 10-11, 2017
Trevor Project Honors, June 19, 2017
Heritage of Pride Presenting First New York City Pride Award, June 20, 2017
NYC Pride Parade, June 25, 2017
Heritage of Pride Float and Tickets to Grandstand
Photographs with Edie and Andrew Cuomo
Arts Project Cherry Grove Gay Pride Parade (Edie Grand Marshal), June 2017
"Explaining the Journey: Marriage Equality USA's Interview with Edie Windsor" Poster, circa July 2017
Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement Film Viewing in Memory of Edie's Passing, September 23, 2017
The Loft LGBT Community Center Annual Gala -- Presenting the Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Equality Award, September 23, 2017
SAGE Gala and Awards -- Edie Windsor Memorial, October 16, 2017
Sackler Center First Awards Ceremony, October 19, 2017
Women's Event, Fundraiser for The Center, November 4, 2017
The Williams Institute Fall Reception, November 9, 2017
Elizabeth Birch Equality Award Black Tie Dinner, November 11, 2017
Illinois Holocaust Museum's Take a Stand Exhibit, 2017
Lesbians Who Tech Summit -- Edie Tribute, March 2, 2018
Al Forney Center Benefit -- Edie Tribute, March 5, 2018
Icon Award Given at Stonewall National Museum and Archives Gala, March 11, 2018
Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps and Symphonic Band The Roaring Music of Women -- Windsor Tribute, April 7, 2018
NYU Lavender Graduation and Queer Prom, April 25, 2018
Edie Windsor's Annual Backyard BBQ, May 26, 2018
NYC Pride Day Breakfast and Parade -- Photographs of Judith, June 24, 2018
Assembly State of New York Proclamation Presentation to Judith, 2018
Proclamation
Photographs
Super Bowl Watch Party at Dorrian's with Andrew Cuomo and Judith, February 3, 2019
St. Pat's For All Parade 20th Anniversary, March 3, 2019
Presentation of Citation from New York State Assembly for "The Windsor Heart", April 21, 2021
The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation Exhibit and Fundraiser Material, June 20, 2021
Edie Windsor's Annual Backyard BBQ, May 28, 2022, inclusive
Event Attendance List, undated, inclusive
Event Speech Notecards and Notes, undated, inclusive
Benefit Committee Mailing List, undated, inclusive
Subseries III.B. Organizations, 1974-2024, inclusive
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries documents LGBTQ+ community organizing and activism organizations in the New York City and Long Island areas dating from the early 1980s through the mid-2010s, through the lens of two women who lived through historical challenges and advancements in LGBTQ+ rights. The materials in this subseries reflect Edie and Thea's decades-long commitment within local organizations that played an important role in shaping and supporting LGBTQ+ life. The earliest materials in the subseries pertain to their participation in EEGO (East End Gay Organization), and include publications, an organizational history, informational brochures, and event promotion materials. Windsor and Spyer's long-term commitment to SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment) is particularly well represented in this subseries, including Board of Directors meeting notes and minutes, conference and committee planning files, event materials, newsletters, calendars, annual meeting reports, and promotional content including brochures, booklets, and flyers. This subseries also contains promotional and event materials from a range of other organizations, including OQAU (Old Queers Acting Up), OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), The Matrix, NFWFW (North Fork Women for Women Fund), the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps (later renamed the Queer Big Apple Corps), Lesbians Who Tech, MENY (Marriage Equality New York), and various Callen-Lorde programs.
Materials related to Judith Kasen-Windsor, Windsor's second wife, document her own engagement and history within LGBTQ+ organizations, spanning the period before her relationship with Windsor, during their marriage, and after Windsor's death in 2017.
Callen-Lorde -- The Thea Spyer Center for Integrated Health Brochures and Information Sheets, 2013-2014, inclusive
Callen-Lorde -- Annual Reports, 2014-2018, inclusive
Callen-Lorde -- Event Promotional Material, 2016-2019, inclusive
The Center -- Event Promotional Material, Newsletters, Calendar, 1983-2019, inclusive
EEGO (East End Gay Organization) -- General Informational and Event Promotional Material, 1981-1999, inclusive
EEGO -- In Brief Publication, 1981-2010, inclusive
EEGO -- Organizational History (1977 to 2003), 2004
EEGO -- Meeting Agenda and Letter, 2004, undated, inclusive
The Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer Foundation -- Press Clippings and Articles, 2024
The Edie Windsor Center -- Press Clippings, Poster, 2019-2024, inclusive
The Edie Windsor Old Lesbian's Fund through Open Meadows Foundation -- Promotional Material, Applicant Program Information, 2003-2010, inclusive
Empire State Pride -- Marriage Rally Planning, 2006
Digital materials
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, 2020, 2022, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Interview Documentation for The Advocate, 2014
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Annual Glaad Media Awards, 2015, 2019, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Emery Awards Event, 2014-2015, 2018, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Empire State Pride, 2014-2015, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Every Act of Life Kickstarter Campaign, circa 2015-2024, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- LGBT Network Events, 2016
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Out and Equal, 2012-2014, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- NYC Pride, 2012-2016, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- SAGE, 2012, 2015, 2018, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Other Event Promotional Materials, 2015-2023, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Press Clippings and Articles, 2018-2022, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- Speeches, 2017-2018, undated, inclusive
Judith Kasen-Windsor Activism -- New York State World Pride 2019 Ambassador Recognition Certificate, 2019
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund -- Event Promotional Material and Letters, 1990-2004, inclusive
Queer Big Apple Corps (Changed from Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps) -- Event Programs, 1999-2024, inclusive
Lesbian Herstory Archives -- Event Planning, Meeting Notes, 1990, 1997, inclusive
Lesbians Who Tech, 2017
Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship Information and Letter
Photograph Mosaic of Edie
Matrix: A Place of Our Own -- Promotional Material, Newsletters, Notes, 1985-1987, inclusive
MENY (Marriage Equality New York) -- Meeting and Promotional Material, Poster, 2008-2013, inclusive
MENY (Marriage Equality New York) / MEUSA -- Archive Collection Documentation and Related, 2017
National Gay Taskforce -- Newsletters, Correspondence, Notes, 1974-2001, inclusive
NFWFW (North Fork Women for Women) -- Promotional Material, Newsletters, 2005-2012, inclusive
OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) -- Newsletters, Promotional Material, Notes, 1988-2017, inclusive
Olivia Cruises -- Informational Material For Windsor's Various Trips, 2012-2017, inclusive
SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders) Advertising and Press Clippings, 1985-2005, 2013, inclusive
SAGE Ageism and Aging Task Force Material, 1999-2001, inclusive
SAGE Annual Awards Programs, 2004, 2006, 2016, 2018, inclusive
SAGE Annual Meeting Materials, May 16, 2004
SAGE Annual Reports, 2000, 2010, 2016, inclusive
SAGE Board of Directors Material, 1986-1989, 2004-2006, inclusive
SAGE -- Board of Directors Meeting and Planning Files, 2004-2006, inclusive
Digital materials
SAGE Button Containing Photograph of Edie's Face, circa 2013, inclusive
SAGE Constituent Conference Planning Committee Material, 2010
SAGE Correspondence, 1987-2015, inclusive
SAGE Edie Windsor Challenge Fund Information, 2018-2019, inclusive
SAGE Event Fliers, Cards, and Poster, 1986-2015, inclusive
SAGE Executive Director Job Description, 2006
SAGE Governance Committee Materials, 2004-2006, inclusive
SAGE Hamptons Tournament and Cocktail Party Planning, 2005
SAGE Information Kit, 2012
SAGE National Conference on Aging in the LGBT Communities, 2004
SAGE A National Conference and Expo for LGBT Older Adults Planning Material, November 11, 2010
SAGE Newsletters and Event Calendar Listings, 1986-2016, inclusive
SAGE -- Old Queers Acting Up Meeting Minutes and Related, 2004-2005, inclusive
Digital materials
SAGE Old Queers Acting Up Promotional Material, Notes, Event Announcements, Press Clippings, 2001-2005, inclusive
SAGE Promotional Brochures, Fliers, Booklets, circa 1980s-2015, inclusive
Images of Edie and Thea Used for Unknown Organization Website, circa 2013-2024, inclusive
Subseries III.C. United States v. Windsor, 2008-2022, inclusive
Extent
Extent
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains materials related to the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, in which Edie Windsor served as the lead plaintiff. The landmark decision struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), resulting in the extension of federal rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Materials in this subseries were accumulated by Windsor and include legal briefs, case summaries, correspondence, press clippings and articles, a retainer agreement with her legal team, and drafts of public remarks and statements. Photographs in this subseries include 2013 images of Windsor celebrating outside the Supreme Court building on decision day, and related events.
Also included in this subseries are materials documenting projects and public events inspired by the case. These include notes, correspondence, and promotional materials for Windsor's attorney Roberta Kaplan's book Then Comes Marriage…; event planning materials and communications for the documentary To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor; and also a range of event materials focused on the court decision.
Arrangement
Material within this subseries is arranged in chronological order.