Series I: Personal Papers, 2002 - 2017

This collection documents the activities of Nancy Anne Howes, who served as the president of the Rochester-based CD Network during the 1990s. The bulk of the material dates between 1987 and 2004. The majority of the materials consists of magazines, pamphlets, books, and articles on crossdressing, drag culture, transgender/gender-nonconforming identity, celebrity lifestyles, and fashion. Numerous publications have pages of interest tagged for reference. The collection includes a complete run of Dragazine (1991-1997), the first 44 issues of LadyLike magazine (1987-2000), and assorted issues of Transformation magazine (1994-1997).

Personal papers include a personal essay/memoir composed between 2002 and 2015, correspondence with Helene Hirshberg, an oral history interview with Howes discussing the CD Network, and three oversized sketchbooks with magazine clippings, artwork, and other ephemera analyzing the fashion styles of various celebrities.

The collection also contains three binders of materials relating to Howes's involvement with the CD Network. The materials were submitted by members of the CD Network and compiled by Howes into scrapbooks to share with the group as part of the CD Network lending library. Materials include book and film reviews, CD Network pamphlets and newsletters, correspondence with academics researching human sexuality and gender identities, transgender questionnaires, materials discussing the development of terminology transgender/gender-nonconforming identities, advertisements, photographs of CD Network members, and style and cosmetic tips. One binder contains an extensive collection of magazine and newspaper clippings documenting local and national media coverage of celebrity drag performers, drag in popular culture, crossdressing, gender expression, transgender identity, and related topics. Howes discusses the contents of the binders, her sketchbooks, and how the internet changed the crossdressing community in her 2017 interview.

Materials throughout this collection contain creator-supplied language for gender identities and expressions that may be outdated, inappropriate, or derogatory. The processing archivist has retained the original description of these materials so viewers may understand the full historical context of their creation.