A still from Harold T. O'Neal's news reel film. Cable car going down Market St, 1940.
The GLBT Historical Society and it's museum located in the Castro is a wealth of information on how the City evolved as a Gay mecca. One of the treasures in their archives is this amazing film shot by Gay filmmaker Harold T. O'Neal.
It's a silent, news reel type, journey around town through neighborhoods with glimpses of pre-World War II tranquil life that would soon be disrupted by the bloody conflict. This journey could've been used as travel advert. Mr. O'Neal makes brief appearances editing and filming adding to it's 'family' feel of old home movies.
The mass growth of the Gay populace of San Francisco was fueled by the hundreds of thousands of LGBT people who'd served in the military during the war who'd enjoyed the opportunity to meet others of their kind. Upon discharge many had no intention of returning to their previously isolated lives in their hometowns and settled in major urban debarking areas like San Francisco.
1940 SF's LGBT people and their lives were primarily centered in the Tenderloin. In the fifties the Polk District became the focal point of Queer living and by the time the civil rights revolution of the 60's the move from Polk to the Castro had begun.
LGBT people have always been a part of the fabric of this City and films like this one allow us a peek into what life was like then and how far we've advanced in the 70 plus years since it's filming.
You can see more interesting snippets of Queer life through the ages at the GLBT Historical Society's You Tube Channel as well as videos of discussions, panels and exhibition promos held at the museum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAa-aLIOgzw
