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Archives at Cornell

Lucky gay motorcycle club collection

 Collection
Identifier: 7860

Scope and content

The collection includes photos from inside the Falcon's Lair, original Falcon's Lair posters with Tom of Finland's art, and the original artwork for the Falcon's Lair T-shirt, all from the 1960s. It also includes 2 of Lucky's leather vests (circa 1980s), a leather cap (1960s), an original T-shirt (1980s), and leather accessories from the Gauntlet (circa 1980s). Photographs (1958-1990s) from the Oedipus MC, a gay motorcycle club that started in 1958, also came with Lucky's belongings.

Dates

  • 1958 - 1998

Creator

Language of Material

In English.

Biographical / Historical

William Gilbert Lucero, known as Lucky, was an influential member of the Los Angeles gay motorcycle scene and owner of two important gay biker bars in the city. The first was the Falcon's Lair, one of the earliest gay biker bars in Downtown LA and one of the first to use Tom of Finland art in its advertising. The Falcon's Lair, open circa 1966-79, became legendary within the gay biker community of the time for "Bike Christenings" hyper-sexual events where naked or partially dressed club members gathered around the bike of a new club member and urinated on the front wheel. Christenings were a social activity specific to the gay biker community that brought the members of the club together to celebrate one member's newest purchase and his advancement in the world of motorcycling. At these events, Lucky provided an open bar. Lucky was also an owner of the Gauntlet 2 (open 1983 - 2005). The Gauntlet became the Eagle LA, now the most prominent Gay/Leather Bar in Los Angeles. Lucky's estate included photos of the Oedipus Motorcycle club, which opened in 1958, the United States' second Gay Biker club, following The Satyrs. It is not clear whether Lucky was part of this club and portrayed in any of the pictures or whether he acquired and kept the photos because they meant something to him. Given the risks of being found out to be a gay man in the 1950s, photos of gay men in social gay settings are rare. Lucky died July 10, 2017, when he was in his 70s. The Oedipus Club started in 1958 and is still active, according to its website. Falcon's Lair (at 742 N. Highland) was around circa 1966-79. Gauntlet II was open 1983-2005 (according to the website of the gay bar Eagle LA).

Extent

1.9 cubic feet.

1 mapcase folders.

Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Repository

Contact:
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-3530
607-255-9524 (Fax)