<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" findaidstatus="completed" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-ViRCU" url="https://archives.library.vcu.edu/repositories/5/resources/640">vircu00167</eadid><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper>A Guide to the Betsy Brinson collection of AIDS epidemic exhibit materials, 1998, 2016-2017 <num>M 558</num></titleproper><author>Jonathan Faulconer</author></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>VCU James Branch Cabell Library</publisher><p id="logostmt"><extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/vcu.jpg" xlink:show="embed" xlink:type="simple"/></p><p><date>2018</date></p><address><addressline>Special Collections and Archives 901 Park Avenue</addressline><addressline>Richmond, Virginia 23284</addressline><addressline>Business Number: (804) 828-1108</addressline><addressline>libsca@vcu.edu</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2026-04-14 07:02:17 -0400</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English, Latin script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>VCU James Branch Cabell Library</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>Betsy Brinson collection of AIDS epidemic exhibit materials</unittitle>
    <origination label="source">
      <persname authfilenumber="oca02415235 " source="naf">Brinson, Betsy</persname>
    </origination>
    <unitid>M 558</unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/resources/565</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">.42 Linear Feet</extent>
      <extent altrender="carrier">one document box</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" type="inclusive">1998, 2016-2017</unitdate>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
  </did>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_d075810da56d59185e7f881aa5b025ac">
    <head>Content Description</head>
<p>The bulk of the collection consists of oral history interviews conducted by Betsy Brinson in 2016 and 2017 with people who volunteered and worked  with affected communities in the Richmond area during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s. There are seven different interviews on cassette, all about thirty to forty minutes long. The interviews are digitized with links to the files in Series 1.</p><p>Researchers will find content relating to major HIV/AIDS organizations in Richmond that served the community during the AIDS epidemic along with a detailed history of those organizations. These organizations include the Fan Free Clinic, Richmond AIDS Information Network, Central Virginia Aids Services and Education, along with others. Also found in the collection are interview notes, a booklet from Transformation Retreats, and a laminated newspaper clipping describing the exhibit. </p><p>The collection provides insight into how HIV/AIDS has and continues to affect the Central Virginia region, along with the many challenges and hardships that people affected by HIV experienced during the epidemic. A researcher doing research on non-profit organizations, specifically Richmond non-profits, will find this collection to be extremely useful.</p>  </scopecontent>
  <accessrestrict id="aspace_208533c307b8c089de3e7f984db170e9">
    <head>Access Restrictions</head>
<p>Collection is open to research.</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <userestrict id="aspace_0efe84135faf6c0d8e399c18bf2788c7">
    <head>Use Restrictions</head>
<p>There are no restrictions.</p>  </userestrict>
  <prefercite id="aspace_b115ca2f57f2f05aa1a8812497c1e1dd">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>Box/folder, Betsy Brinson collection of AIDS epidemic exhibit materials, 1998, 2016-2017, Collection # M 558, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.</p>  </prefercite>
  <acqinfo id="aspace_126b46664de25b74115885503a7563cb">
    <head>Acquisition Information</head>
<p>Gift of Betsy Brinson in 2017.</p>  </acqinfo>
  <bioghist id="aspace_693165412626fbf36f27352dcdc142aa">
    <head>Historical Information</head>
<p>The contents of this collection are associated with an exhibit presented at the Richmond Public Library in 2017 titled "The Modern Plague: Voices and Images of the Early AIDS Epidemic" by Betsy Brinson and Kathy Yost Benham which shared the stories of the communities and community allies who experienced the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s in central Virginia, particularly Richmond.</p>  </bioghist>
  <arrangement id="aspace_90fe48614930c0ca38bd0a47e111b07d">
    <head>Arrangement</head>
<p>The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1: Oral Histories, 2016-2017 and Series 2: Related materials, 1998, 2017</p>  </arrangement>
  <controlaccess>
    <subject source="lcsh">Gay activists -- Virginia -- Richmond</subject>
    <subject source="lcsh">Gay rights -- Religious aspects</subject>
    <subject source="lcsh">Gay men -- Virginia -- Richmond</subject>
    <subject source="lcsh">Public health -- Virginia -- Richmond.</subject>
    <persname authfilenumber="oca02415235 " role="fmo" source="naf">Brinson, Betsy</persname>
  </controlaccess>
  <dsc><c id="aspace_aa4e52e5edd181009755976dae0e8c4e" level="series"><did><unittitle>Series 1: Oral Histories</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57785</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation" type="inclusive">2016-2017</unitdate></did><c id="aspace_25c7962f2be4fdf5fc19ffd5faf2a8ea" level="file"><did><unittitle>Jihad Abdulmumit oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57786</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2017</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_aa276dc8f550bebbcc86548bd5fac32e" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_84e3d7eb8a11bb116f72dda8818e1da4" parent="aspace_aa276dc8f550bebbcc86548bd5fac32e" type="folder">1</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_99381e773506a6a6f41b9e9056445067"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 39:08</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_e427ae42fa047fa60bec1beb7ea78549" level="file"><did><unittitle>Chris Clarke oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57787</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2016</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_c67d91c175fe0ba2064609081da4e7c9" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_275636fc06976af0caa3494d54a3ece9" parent="aspace_c67d91c175fe0ba2064609081da4e7c9" type="folder">2</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_57c40961542452de03abfa344a965692"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 52:00</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_81c8ac223fb1555b32b177477865a0ae" level="file"><did><unittitle>John Elliot oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57788</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2016</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_6b99fd6b90839996bb9a5966d2b671f9" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_a67a28e36b0b47025642a0b2ef1ced03" parent="aspace_6b99fd6b90839996bb9a5966d2b671f9" type="folder">3</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_3a5c7f77ab16250e7b533e829e33a019"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 41:26</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_3bdeb090261f4e45c02c8fcaea6c5e6b" level="file"><did><unittitle>Ruth Fitzsimmons oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57789</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2017</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_0e974cd12a9ee7d4252c7039466756f1" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_ce503a8ce9f3418bef0edc22fd7f6b29" parent="aspace_0e974cd12a9ee7d4252c7039466756f1" type="folder">4</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_37ed76daa4b53247fd68827a221abac6"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 56:32</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_4b251c1bd62d3d0b5c603c264a59da22" level="file"><did><unittitle>Bill Harrison oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57790</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2016</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_c09c0783a70fd0f6a7d33292ca52d732" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_e66a632c63cb21b71ded03d2e2194586" parent="aspace_c09c0783a70fd0f6a7d33292ca52d732" type="folder">5</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_5b0dcc2715a8406eb69c2c3940f4ef03"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 48:24</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_632843fb0b606afcadfeaf25173d3d64" level="file"><did><unittitle>Bob Higginson oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57791</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2017</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_1cbc5163e066a45fc53eecb63edb7d5c" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_7451cadb6e7b09fe552ea4e2bdb8866d" parent="aspace_1cbc5163e066a45fc53eecb63edb7d5c" type="folder">6</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_fa764bedc36239e028e79f10c9a3acf3"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 50:33</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_e58c8fa839d1e83940fc55c0aef44dee" level="file"><did><unittitle>Russell Webb oral history</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57792</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2017</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_70d46cefca30494b3f24182d326fcb45" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_7f3d3107cc44f3c1f0908d87621ee7c0" parent="aspace_70d46cefca30494b3f24182d326fcb45" type="folder">7</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_cf9cb938b0d9a83d7f79d0b3b05c3de5"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Length: 39:24</p></scopecontent></c></c><c id="aspace_932a94ecf03723c23ad7f3127a28926c" level="series"><did><unittitle>Series 2: Related Materials</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57793</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation" type="inclusive">1998, 2017</unitdate></did><c id="aspace_bd1128e20052638969aa4a756eb9d78b" level="file"><did><unittitle>Exhibit newspaper clipping</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57794</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">2017</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_5213302893c41a793af868b766107046" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_25d8e2b89ad570aabf88e1c1e78cf537" parent="aspace_5213302893c41a793af868b766107046" type="folder">8</container></did></c><c id="aspace_a1e90c7f1a1d6402577f7336f5f96243" level="file"><did><unittitle>Transformation Retreats booklet</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/57795</unitid><unitdate datechar="creation">1998</unitdate><container altrender="5&quot; Doc Case, Legal" id="aspace_8d60baf5ab244264f9d6dfa929b41efb" label="Mixed Materials [A11423646137]" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_bbecfc95d7c63fded1c0d216189d7838" parent="aspace_8d60baf5ab244264f9d6dfa929b41efb" type="folder">9</container></did></c></c></dsc>
</archdesc>
</ead>