fwiw I did the full marking boycott, and voted Yes and Yes in this ballot!

Having said that, what's happening in the area is not really gentrification at all - those days are long gone - but just land financialisation leading to the most hideous capital-driven urban redevelopment (what they've done to Tottenham Court Road looks bloody awful).

I'll be back to the archive again in January and April for more detailed recording of key boxes and folders - then Les and I will figure out how to analyse all this stuff! 😴

Finally we got some time with Bear artwork that creatively explores queer male masculinities and bodies.

Much of this was from the Bear Icons exhibit of the early 2000s - original artwork apparently lost somewhere in Palm Springs but thankfully we've got photos.

This period also saw an explosion of media & glossy magazines targeting Bears and Bear-y guys. Plus growth of Bear as a consumerist lifestyle, w products branded and marketed towards those in Bear communities - even mainstream publishers took note of this new & lucrative market.

And artwork from the 'Bear Icons' art exhibit (some very NSFW).

VHS tapes of recorded Mr Bear contests, some personal recordings and others sold after the events.

Plenty of Bear merchandise like mugs, hankies, pins and badges - even sex parties were handing them out.

And adverts, flyers and posters for Bear events in the US and beyond - our first find of a Bear event in Turkey in 2003!

More pics coming tomorrow after day 3 is done.