Hot Peaches Records
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Abstract
Hot Peaches was a drag theater company founded in 1972 by writer and performer Jimmy Camicia. The group was known for their collaborative interactions with other drag performance groups and queer revolutionaries, including cast member Marsha P. Johnson. The group was based in New York City and performed shows regularly from the 1970s to the early 2000s not only in New York clubs, but also tours in Europe. Hot Peaches was often a platform for cast members' self-expression, as well as a nurturing queer community. The Hot Peaches Records contain material connected to their performances including scripts; press clippings; show production work books; digital and analog performance recordings; cast and performance photographs; and promotional announcements and posters. This collection also contains personal material created by Jimmy Camicia including school ephemera, writings, and journals dating from the late 1950s to 2012.
Historical Note
Hot Peaches was a theater company working mostly in drag in New York City during the 1970s to the early 2000s. The company was founded by Jimmy Camicia in 1972, who befriended a group of drag queens in New York and was inspired to write shows for them to perform. Self-defined as as gay theater group, the Hot Peaches created shows that expressed the gay experience with a campy and political twist. Early shows were known for the castmembers' costumes, which often included vibrant, sparkling glam outfits with liberal use of platform boots, glitter, and feather boas. Camicia almost exclusively wrote the scripts, and the shows were put on three to five times per year at a variety of small theaters in Manhattan including Peach Pitts, Theater for the New City, La Mama, and Theater Genesis. The group would also occasionally do European tours, performing in England, Amsterdam, Scotland, Italy, and Germany, often providing their audiences with an experience that was not necessarily available for the gay communities in these countries. Notable cast members include the activist and performer Marsha P. Johnson, Sister Tooey, Wilhelmina Ross, Ian McKay, and Split Britches founder Peggy Shaw.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into four series. Each is arranged chronologically within.
Series I. Recordings
Series II. Scripts
Series III. Shows and Tours
Series IV. Jimmy Camicia Writings
Scope and Contents
The Hot Peaches Records (1971-2014) include analog and digital recordings, and paper material related to Hot Peaches, a New York City-based gay theater group who based their shows on political camp and were dominated by drag performers. The Hot Peaches Records document the theater company's artistic processes, as well as the broader context of avant-garde musical performance, male and female gay performers, and queer communities in New York City in the late 20th century. Performance audio and video recordings in this collection date from the 1970s to the 2000s and include not only Hot Peaches shows, but also fundraisers to assist former castmates like International Chrysis and Ian McKay. The collection also includes photographs of the cast, performances, backstage, and images from their European tours. Publicity material includes fliers, postcards, posters, and press releases. Show production work books include notated scripts, cast lists, stage directions, press clippings, and photographs.
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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; Hot Peaches Records; MSS 420; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Jimmy Camicia, 2014 and 2023. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 2014.420 and 2023.048.
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.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Some audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact Fales Library and Special Collections, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596 with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Access to some of the audiovisual materials in this collection is available through digitized access copies. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room.
Appraisal
The following were removed from the collection: 61 DVDs and CDs (either damaged or duplicates); 19 reference copy DVDs of analog recordings; 2 commercial VHS; approximately 100 rolled posters (duplicates/outside the collection's scope); unmarked commercial sheet music; and approximately 10 publications and books that had existing copies within the NYU library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Material was placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Overstuffed folders were separated and placed in multiple folders when necessary. Show production files were removed from their three-ring binders and placed in file folders, retaining the material in their original order. Rolled posters from shows were sent to the Preservation Lab for housing. One audio reel and four journals with mold were identified and treated by the Preservation lab. A mounted poster, ledger book, and two scrapbooks were transferred to the Preservation Lab for treatment and returned. Four digital disks were forensically imaged, analyzed, and arranged in Forensic Toolkit. 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 September 2023 a processing archivist accessioned an accretion totaling 2 linear feet, which was immediately added to the existing collection. Material was placed in acid-free folders and boxes, and titles were added to titles within the existing inventory, or when necessary, new titles were created.
