Oral History Interview with Frederick Sproule (1983)
Files
Dublin Core
Title
Oral History Interview with Frederick Sproule (1983)
Subject
oral history, relationships, gay culture, Frederick Sproule, WWI, coming out, army, cruising, work, interior design, WWII, Toronto, drag, bars, gay liberation
Description
In this oral history interview Frederick Sproule, 88 years old, discusses his life as a gay man in Toronto from the early twentieth century onwards. The interview begins with Sproule describing his coming out experience when he was 18 and lived in New York. He then narrates his life during World War I, his time in service, sexual experiences, relationships, cruising practices, and his attendance to gay parties. Other topics discussed in the interview include Sproule’s relation with his family, his social circle, his career as an interior designer, the changes in Toronto after WWII, drag practices of people he knew, his political stance, his rather pessimistic opinion about the gay liberation movement, the bar culture in the city, and his relationships with women when he was younger.
Creator
Foolscap Oral History Project
Date
1983-08-16
Contributor
John Grube, LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory (Elspeth Brown, PI), Zohar Freeman
Rights
CLGA
Format
PDF, WAV
Language
English
Type
Sound, text
Identifier
2016-034
Coverage
Toronto 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s; New York 1910s, 1920s.
Hyperlink Item Type Metadata
URL
Citation
Foolscap Oral History Project, “Oral History Interview with Frederick Sproule (1983),” The ArQuives Digital Exhibitions, accessed April 27, 2024, https://digitalexhibitions.arquives.ca/items/show/805.