Does it take one to know one? By (c) J. Pritikin

Sorry for the quality, I only had a photo copy, and I might take all day finding the original slide. I was on assignment for a Cover for a national Gay magazine-The Alternate in 1978. It was part of a survey that asked their readers "DOES IT TAKE ONE TO KNOW ONE?"

Their choice was either "Flash of the Mint and Tim Sullivan, of the Oilers. They were both 21 years old Rookies in San Francisco's Gay Community Softball League, the first gay sports league in the country. They brought their mothers to the games. One of these players happens to be gay, and the other straight. Let us know, you can do so by leaving a comment. If you are gay,then choose who you believe is gay, and vice versa if your straight. By the way,the cover never happened because the magazine's editor changed his mind.

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME ON MY SITE, TAKE A LOOK AT THE ARCHIVES... SOME ARE STORIES THAT HAPPENED DURING THE 1970s, AND MANY ARE FROM THE 1980'S UP UNTIL NOW IN CHICAGO. I HOPE YOU TAKE TIME TO BE PART OF THE SURVEY, and
if you have any questions, just ask
THANK YOU,
Jerry Pritikin

Another "Quick" Year...Photos (c) J Pritikin

Over the years, I have photographed many Gay Pride Parades. However, in recent years, I have not taken as many images. Last year I only took about 10 shots... however one of them turned "OUT" to be make a lasting impression that had an impact on my life ! It was the group from Roosevelt University, and they were holding signs. Included in this group, was the President of Roosevelt University, Charles Middelton, and he proudly proclaimed that he was gay, as well as the other's did too, as they marched in the 2009 Chicago Pride Parade. About a week after the Parade, I looked up Roosevelt's web-site, and sent Mr. Middleton a jpg, and asked if they had any plans for this year's Pride Month at the University. I suggested if they did not, I would like to recommend an exhibit of my photographs, and included a few of my (jpgs) of San Francisco during the 1970's. A short time later... I received an E-mail from President Middleton, saying that they were very interested and they would contact me. What I did not realize then, was that Roosevelt owned Gage Gallery... and had the following listed on their site...

The mission of the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University is to show
work that is consonant with the mission of the University and its
ideals of social justice and to serve the educational and academic goals
of the University.

The Gage Gallery was founded in 2001, shortly after Roosevelt
University's expansion into the historic Gage building on Michigan
Avenue. Situated directly across the street from Chicago's Millennium
Park, the gallery has exhibited nationally and internationally known
photographers and artists, and has hosted numerous public lectures,
panel discussions and symposia. The gallery is committed to showing
contemporary work that addresses the important social issues of our time.


The Gage Gallery is affiliated with, and supported by the College of
Arts and Sciences at Roosevelt University.

At the beginning of this year, I was contacted by Michael Ensdorf, the founder and Director of the Gage gallery,and he put into motion my exhibit "SAN FRANCISCO IN THE 1970s" that opened on June 3rd for PRIDE MONTH, and will run until August 13th.
I am extremely proud, especially with the Gage Gallery's MISSION STATEMENT, to have this exhibit, and for the large crowd that came to the Opening, and for the nice reviews that I have had since then. I would like to invite all of you in the Chicagoland to come on down... and if you see some old guy with a digital camera, and Rainbow colored beany with a propeller on it... please say hello... That's me! I WANT TO THANK PRESIDENT CHARLES MIDDLETON, AND MICHAEL ENSDORF FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY... to exhibit my photographs, as well as all those good people behind the scenes for doing a great job of making the exhibit a reality.
Jerry Pritikin

32 years later, I admit I shot him,and had the pics to prove it!

I enjoyed the other night's Opening at Roosevelt University's Gage Gallery. At least 150 people came to the Exhibit. It's alway good to hear nice things, and it went that way for 3 hours. However, for me the highlight of the evening,happened when a nice looking young man, pulled out a couple of photographs, and said I shot him 32 years ago! I admit I did not recognize him, but once he told me his name... I instantly recreate a couple of well spent weeks, that started in Chicago and ended 2 weeks later in San Francisco.It was in 1978. That was a magic year for me.

I enjoyed meeting someone OUT of my past... that is still alive! There were 2 other guys at the Opening, that I thought were dead, showed up for the Opening. Here are the images that "Mike" gave to me... The shot with all the buildings in the background was taken from "Pritikin's Peak", however on the map it is called "Corona Heights". The other is taken under the Golden Gate Bridge. He promises to show more images that I took soon. Now that's a switch... Someone showing me, my pictures!

Welcome to WHEN THEN WAS NOW...

Years ago, there were so few places to find gay news. Few communities had gay newspapers, and if you read anything during the 1950s and 60s, chances are, it was about a local gay bar being raided. Seldom, did the wire services carry gay news. This was a time before the www. and instant news was transcribed via United Press International, and the Associated Press. There is a new play on Broadway called "PRIDE" taking place in England in 1958, about 2 guys discovering their introduction into a love that dare not speak its name. It was reviewed in the N.Y. Times, and I could not help thinking about myself at the same period in time, except for me it was taking place in Chicago. I posted my comments that follows...

February 17th, 2010 5:34 am

Rating:

Gay, Then and Now-"PRIDE"

I lived "Pride" at the same time this play takes place... and at the time I called it Love! I was 21, and for the first time felt the slings and arrows, except, for us it took place in Chicago. I remember, thinking to myself, as we walked along Chicago's lakefront... Why can't we hold each others hand? Who are we hurting? There were so few pockets of friends... but I felt liberated, and thankfully recall my move to San Francisco in 1960, and discovering all the segments of gay life... "When then was Now!" Today, I see openly gay couples hold hands, march in Parades, and want the same rights that non-gays have, and hope that today's gay communities realize how far we have come, to be ourselves... one day at a time.

– jerry pritikin, chicago

This is my blog... and admit, that I do not keep up with it as often as most blogers. At 73... I have a habit of thinking a lot about the my choices that I made, and I have no regrets. This blog, in a way is similar to a short story I read in the late 1950's by Gore Vidal. It was called "Pages of a Abandon Journal". About someone who also made choices, that were unpredictable at the time they were made. I never thought much about the future more than 5 minutes in advance. I was lucky, even when I was unlucky... to be at the right time and place at the same time. I am not a story teller... however I have been blessed with great recall. I guess I was aided with the help of my camera as a companion. I managed to shoot at interesting times, that record where I been, and the changes taking place before my eyes and camera.

This coming June (For Pride Month) and July, I will be having my first gallery showing ever at Roosevelt University's Gage Gallery in Chicago. There will be over 40 photographs of the streets of San Francisco in the 1970's. Many have never been published, or seen since they first appeared in the window of Georgeanna's Bakery at 420 Castro Street... just a few yards away from today's Harvey Milk Plaza. As I get ready for my exhibit... I will start to reuse this blog as a journal... and share it with you. I would appreciate your comments.

VOTE!!! (A funny thing happened to me on the way to D.C.)

I'm a National Equality Idol Finalist for the March happening in Washington D.C. - October 9-11, 2009.

Check out my video now on YouTube... and vote there (click for link) or on Facebook (click for link).
Here's how you "vote": on YouTube, be logged in to your YouTube account, and when you go to the link with my video, hit "favorite" - which is right under the video... and make my video one of your favorites... on Facebook, be logged into your account, go to the above link, go to the videos section of the National Equality March profile, watch my video, and hit "like" to give me a thumbs up! Thanks!!

More details about this opportunity can be found here, at The Beachwood Reporter... (click here for link).

As we say in Chicago, "Vote Early & Vote Often!"

Salute to Uncle Don...

Since it's release last November, The Movie "MILK" has introduced Harvey Milk to millions of people... by recreating the history of the early gay rights movement during the 1970's in San Francisco.

For over a dozen years the pioneer photographer known as Uncle Donald has collected and expanded www.thecastro.net web-site into a National Treasure. It's a collection of images and stories, by many gay photographers of that era... they were part of the gay rights movement... not recreating history... just recording it.

Prior to my blog... I have had an on going exhibit at Uncle Don's site... and today, he's added the latest chapter of our history. Uncle Donald is a master curator, and his web-site has put together another great exhibit, featuring Efren Ramirez. Do yourself a favor... check out http://thecastro.net/street/memoriespage/ramirez/ramirez.html to see the real Castro of the 70's. I salute Uncle Don... for treating all of us to his ongoing cyber museum. His repository of historic and everyday Castro images and stories are the best on the web. I never met him in person... we are part of a group of gay photographers who's images of Harvey Milk are now part of the Harvey Milk Plaza . Please take a peek, after looking at my blog.

Cheers... Jerry

True Confession... I shot her kids!

I was getting some good results with a cheap Kodak Instamatic during the 60's, and I changed to a better camera system at the beginning of the 1970's.... and with better results... in spite of never developing my own pictures. In the early Castro of the 70's, it was a changing neighborhood... but a lot of residents and businesses remained ... it was a mixed neighborhood. There were small pockets of hold outs... hoping the neighborhood would somehow remain the same as the 40's and 50's.... status quo. I met many of the store owners... and knew their concerns. Some voiced legitimate reasons, some out of fear, on both sides of the change. I resided nearby... I usually walked up and back home on Alpine Terrace, but grabbed a #24 bus whenever the weather was acting up...

I spent time with the owner of GeroreGianna Bakery at 420 Castro Street. She and her late husband ran it for many years. The location was perfect... a transfer point for all kinds of buses and streetcars... and people passing them at all hours of the day, just a few yards from today's Harvey Milk Plaza. After her husband's death, she ran it mostly by herself ... it was somewhat run down, and needed a fresh coat of paint. I asked her if I could put a display of my photos in the window... and it soon became a window gallery... at all hours. Once in a while I had a request to shoot events, or special occasions, and political happenings. But the most unusual request came via the phone early on a Saturday morning in December of 1975.... and a woman's voice asking me "TO SHOOT HER KIDS"... she liked my photos in the window and wanted a keepsake of those times.. Her two daughters made it very easy for me... I followed them around, and seldom had the need to give directions. The backdrop was Golden Gate Park. The results... are what you see here.

Last year for me marked many 30th Anniversaries... it seemed the decade was filled with the sound of progress. Many events have taken place... sometimes, right in front of my own eyes... or handy camera. The whole year 1978 was one continuous event... and in a way, I documented those times ... from my perspective in the gay media.. Often, I am reunited with people from that era... but did not know them at the time. One of those is someone I have yet to meet in person. He has a treasure trove of images and stories on his page www.thecastro.net. He's been doing it for over 13 years. Uncle Don recently had a visitor, Juana Samayoa, looking for Danny Nicoletta regarding Harvey Milk. She also had a videotape of an interview she had done with harvey Milk during her morning TV talk show in '78. (Watch the interview here! ---> http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=XVlxq7wqgeU&feature=PlayList&p=72422A655A71BF4E&index=47)

While on Uncle Don's site she emailed me and asked if I remembered her and her family, and an afternoon in Golden Gate Park in 1976. (The girls are Sara and Marie)
It was a day of magic... and still fresh in the minds of those in the shoot. Jauna did not remember calling me, or asking me "to shoot her kids!" But I do... and it feels good to relive a few of those treasured moments . The girls are both married, and have kids of their own. Juana just moved to Southern California... and is a character actress.
Here is a link to her own page: http://mizjuana.com/
Here is a link to daughter Marie's site: http://www.mariemassey.com/

and more links here ---> http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/mizjuana
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1721767/
http://immersionhollywood.com/