Leather Archives and Museum 
(773)761-9200
Number of Reviews: 1
The World's Kinkiest Museum,
Nov 23, 2008
The Scene
If you have ever been curious about the "leather lifestyle"--an unusual blend of sexuality, sadomasochism and, of course, black leather clothing--a nondescript building in Rogers Park has all the answers. Whether it surprises, excites or offends you, the Leather Archives & Museum is an impressively exhaustive collection of leather paraphernalia and literature. Looking for a gift? You can walk home with, among other things, T-shirts and miniature leather boots with the LA&M logo, rope body-harness kits, posters from the International Mr. Leather competitions and keychains shaped like tiny leather jackets.
The Museum
Located in a former synagogue, the archives and museum is housed on the lower level, and upstairs is a 164-seat theater used for lectures, meetings and classes. The archives hold rows upon rows of metal filing cabinets and shelves containing historical documents and photographs of the leather movement, as well as various members' personal files. Visitors can also browse more than 350 magazine titles and a wide variety of gay and straight pornography in several languages. Some of the more graphic art is not for the easily shocked.
