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Collection AIDS Memorial Quilt Records

Featured Content

A black-and-white portrait of a young man with short hair, gazing directly at the camera Block 0001
A typed letter on The Names Project letterhead Block 2482
Two men sitting on steps outside a building, one holding a baby and a yellow toy duck, with a clear sky in the background Block 2365
A large crowd gathers on a grassy field covered with colorful quilts, with the Capitol building visible in the background Block 0240
A vintage turquoise and white sewing machine with dials and knobs for settings, featuring a metal base Sewing machine
letter to registered nurse Joann Ruiz Block 2392
letter dated August 4 1988 Block 0760
handwritten memorial note with red ribbon on the top left of page Block 4730
Letter from parents Block 0656
handwritten tribute by Steve Horwitz in memory of David Michael Keisacker Block 1333
Black and white portrait of a person standing near a window with lace curtains Block 0335
a man standing in front of a winter-themed backdrop Block 3816
Portrait of a woman in a patterned black and white shirt Block 4811
A handwritten note on a cat-shaped blue paper silhouette Block 4686
A person wearing a blue denim jacket standing in an outdoor plaza Block 4875

About this Collection

This online collection presents digitized images of the AIDS Memorial Quilt panel maker files housed in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The panel maker files contain more than 150,000 mementos and ephemera submitted by Quilt panel makers to the NAMES Project and the National AIDS Memorial, which memorializes victims of HIV/AIDS. Conceived by Cleve Jones and friends in response to the AIDS epidemic unfolding in San Francisco, California, it was first displayed on the National Mall on October 11, 1987 at the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Quilt's impact was immediate and helped transform discussions about HIV/AIDS victims, treatment, prevention, prejudice, and taboos. Since 1987 the Quilt has grown to nearly 50,000 panels memorializing 110,000 individuals - the largest piece of community folk art ever created - and has traveled all over the world.

These records were maintained by NAMES Project staff from 1987 until their donation to the American Folklife Center in 2019. AFC continues to receive regular accruals to the panel maker files from the National AIDS Memorial. This digital collection presents the manuscript and still image panel maker records for Quilt panels that are more than 25 years old. Records concerning panels that are less than 25 years old and other media formats are available onsite in the Folklife Reading Room.

A typical panel file contains a letter written by a panel’s maker. These moving and heartfelt letters often include memories and descriptions of the AIDS victim memorialized on the panel, or explain the maker’s motivations. The files also often contain obituaries, news clippings, and funeral service prayer cards. Files sometimes contain photos of the memorialized or photos of the Quilt panel being crafted. Occasionally the file contains records created by the AIDS victim before their death – mostly writings or other artworks. Files also contain NAMES Project administrative records about the panels. These administrative documents vary in depth and utility. Not every Memorial Quilt panel has a corresponding panel maker file – many panels were submitted without accompanying records.

Digitization of this collection was made possible by the Ford Foundation.