Castro Camera (by Kaitlyn Parmenter)
The Victorian-style building on 573-575 Castro Street, between 18th and 19th streets in San Francisco, California, is currently home to Given, a high end gift shop. Built in 1894, the storefront housed hardware stores and blue-collar tradesmen such as plumbers, carpenters, and sheet metal workers until around 1943. The building represents the beginning of Eureka Valley's commercial strip and the blue-collar origins of the neighborhood. It is one of the few Victorian-era commercial buildings on Castro Street that is still standing. This building is most known for being the location of Camera Castro, Harvey Milk’s camera shop from 1972 to 1976 (1). Milk also lived in the apartment above the store from 1973 to 1978. Milk opened Castro Camera in 1972 with his partner, Scott Smith. Castro Camera operated for 4 years. The store closed when Milk became more focused on politics. The store then functioned as a community center and advertised demonstrations, protests, and neighborhood meetings (2).
From 1972 through 1976, Castro Camera served as Harvey Milk's retail photography shop and as
headquarters for his campaigns for public office. Milk ran for office four times before finally winning
office in 1977. Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and was the fist openly
gay man elected to public office in an American city (3). This was a significant step to gay people being
accepted in politics . Because of his election, the gay population became a powerful part of politics in
San Francisco (4).
Signs in the store’s windows advertised many things not camera related. Milk posted signs about demonstrations, protests, and neighborhood meetings. Soon, his camera shop was overrun by politics. Milk became involved in organizing gay voter registration drives and helped to establish the first Castro Street Fair. He was extremely vocal in the political scene, speaking out against Anita Bryant’s anti-gay “Save Our Children” campaign. Milk also worked against the Briggs Initiative. This legislation proposed to inhibit lesbians and gay men from teaching in California public schools. Sadly, Milk was assassinated the year following his election into the Board of Supervisors in 1978 (5).
The building of Castro Camera was the center of Harvey Milk's campaign front from 1973 to 1978. Milk revived the Castro Village Association, and in 1974, he spearheaded the Castro Street Fair (6). The fair became an annual event that highlighted the surrounding areas' shops and businesses. It also boosted the Castro district’s economic development and tourist appeal. In 1982, three blocks were cordoned off and vendors, comedians, and musicians performed on two different stages, and drag queens walked the streets posing for photos. The fair is still held today and attracts people from all over the world (7).
The Castro Camera is an important part of American history, as it represents the story of a man who did more than simply own a camera store. Harvey Milk helped a district become a safe space for gays and revolutionized gay politics through his election to public office. Perhaps most importantly, he paved the way for other gay politicians and activists to follow in his footsteps.
Bibliography
Castro Camera, 573-575 Castro Street. 1976, Harvey Milk Archives- Scott Smith Collection. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. www.sfpl.org/sfphotos.
City Planning Commission Resolution (CPCR). “San Francisco Landmark #227” NoeHill in San Francisco, accessed November 28, 2020, https://noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf227.asp
Harvey Milk in Board of Supervisors Chambers in City Hall at the Budget Hearing openings. 1978, Harvey Milk Archives- Scott Smith Collection. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. www.sfpl.org/sfphotos.
Harvey Milk in Castro Camera. 1975, 1978, Harvey Milk Archives- Scott Smith Collection. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. www.sfpl.org/sfphotos.
Harvey Milk in front of Castro Camera. 1975, 1978, Harvey Milk Archives- Scott Smith Collection. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. www.sfpl.org/sfphotos.
Harvey Milk home and Castro Camera 573-575 Castro Street 2003. https://queerestplaces.com/2009/03/11/the-historic-castro-district/
Heidi A. Mau. “Communicating Legacy: Media, Memory and Harvey Milk” PhD diss.,Temple University, 2017. accessed November 28, 2020, https://scholarshare.temple.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.12613/1856/Mau_temple_0225E_12921.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Nan Alamilla Boyd. “San Francisco’s Castro district: From gay liberation to tourist destination” ResearchGate, accessed November 28, 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233253850_San_Francisco's_Castro_district_From_gay_liberation_to_tourist_destination
P. Martin. “The Historic Castro District” The Queerest Places, accessed November 28, 2020 https://queerestplaces.com/2009/03/11/the-historic-castro-district/
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