PhD defence Noah Littel

Keywords: Community archives, Information activism, Queer and feminist history, Intersectional heritage practices

"Archives of Passion: An affective history of Dutch gay, lesbian and women’s archival and information activism since the 1970s"

Inclusion, diversity and intersectionality are not recently introduced topics on the agendas of heritage institutions – nor are interventions from ‘critical visitors’ to improve representation within heritage institutions new. However, institutional histories and critical interventions in the past tend to become forgotten. Through archival and oral history research, in their dissertation Noah Littel addresses the longevity of discussions around diversity and intersectionality – which were considered since the founding of community archival initiatives in the late 1970s and early 1980s, albeit in different terms and configurations. Dutch lesbian, gay and women’s archival initiatives stimulated intersectional solidarity across liberation struggles but also grappled with new normativities, exclusions and silences. While institutional histories become forgotten, the affective dimensions of these histories – such as the pride and joy of creating representations or the frustration and anger to be excluded or forgotten – linger into our present. By inviting open and vulnerable reflection on the affective and political work of Dutch lesbian, gay and women’s archiving, Littel aims to work toward a sustainable commitment to systematic changemaking.

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