The History Project

What The History Project does

The History Project, operating as Queer History Boston, is an independent nonprofit community archives founded in 1980 and headquartered at 565 Boylston Street, Boston, MA. The organization documents, preserves, and shares the histories of Boston and New England's LGBTQ+ communities from pre-Stonewall times to the present, stewarding more than 200 collections including the George Chapin Scott and Edward F. Bernier Photograph Collection, the Gay Community News Photograph Collection, and the Trans Resistance 2020 Photograph Collection. Physical archive access is free and open to the public by appointment only; digitized collections are hosted on an Omeka.net platform at historyproject.omeka.net.

The organization's product surface spans core archival stewardship, digital collections access, the 'Queer Boston's Pursuit of Happiness' podcast, the 'Out of the Archives' blog, curated exhibitions, publications, walking tours of Boston Common, the West End, and Salem, private talks and tours, corporate DEI programming, an email newsletter, and a Bonfire-powered print-on-demand merchandise store. The business model is donation- and community-supported: primary revenue comes from public donations and fundraising, supplemented by fee-based historian services for corporate and private groups, ticketed events (sold via Eventbrite), and merchandise unit sales. GTM is community-led, leveraging Instagram, newsletter, podcast, blog, and in-person events; named distribution partners include Bonfire (merchandise), Eventbrite (ticketing), the Museum of African American History (joint programming), and The Salem Rainbow Stroll (Salem walking tours). In 2024 the organization rebranded to Queer History Boston while retaining The History Project name for legacy references.

Name

The History Project

Legal name

The History Project

Website

https://historyproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The History Project (operating as Queer History Boston) is a Boston-based nonprofit community archives founded in 1980 that documents and preserves New England's LGBTQ+ history across 200+ collections, serving researchers, community members, corporate groups, and students through free public access, digital collections, tours, and programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue through public donations and fundraising campaigns to support archival operations and preservation efforts
2. Merchandise Sales: Print-on-demand merchandise sales through Bonfire platform including shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and bags featuring LGBTQ+ history themes
3. Community History Services: Fee-based historian services for corporate groups, affinity groups, and private events including talks, tours, and educational programs
4. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for events including film screenings, walking tours, and special programming

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The History Project (operating as Queer History Boston) is a community archives organization that documents, preserves, and shares LGBTQ+ histories of Boston and New England. Since 1980 it has built more than 200 collections, providing free public access to its archives alongside educational programming, walking tours, private group experiences, and corporate DEI programming.

Product overview

The History Project (now operating as Queer History Boston) is a community archives organization offering a portfolio of archival services rather than a unified software product. The core offering is its community archives service maintaining over 200 LGBTQ+ collections. Supporting offerings include digital collections accessible via Omeka platform, educational programs such as walking tours and private talks/tours, multimedia content through the 'Queer Boston's Pursuit of Happiness' podcast and 'Out of the Archives' blog, curated exhibitions and publications, corporate programming for businesses, a newsletter subscription service, and a Bonfire-powered merchandise shop. Physical archives access is by appointment at their Boylston Street location in Boston.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Archives Access Free public access to the organization's 200+ archival collections of LGBTQ+ history materials, available on-site in Boston and via online digital collections, intended for community members, students, and researchers.
• Boston LGBTQ+ Walking Tours Guided walking tours highlighting LGBTQ+ history in Boston and New England, offered to the public as ticketed experiences.
• Private Talks and Tours Curated private talks and tours on LGBTQ+ history for groups of students, friends, colleagues, Meetup groups, and individuals seeking customized experiences.
• Corporate and Affinity Group Programming Tailored, contracted LGBTQ+ history educational programs and team-building activities for companies and affinity groups, designed for employee audiences.
• Hire A Historian Community History Services Paid community history services provided by the organization's historians to community groups seeking historical research, storytelling, and presentations.
• Print-on-Demand Merchandise Branded apparel and merchandise sold online via a Bonfire-powered print-on-demand storefront, supporting the organization's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 collections maintained documenting New England LGBTQ+ history

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Museum of African American HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for joint programming including film screenings and educational panels. Hosted events such as 'Interpreting Edmonia Lewis through an LGBTQ+ Lens' panel and 'The Watermelon Woman' film screening with the museum.
• BonfireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrint-on-demand merchandise platform enabling Queer History Boston to sell branded merchandise including shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and bags with LGBTQ+ history themes. Uses Bonfire's storefront and print-on-demand fulfillment services.
• EventbriteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent ticketing platform used for selling tickets to events including walking tours, film screenings, LGBTQ+ picnics, and special programming. Eventbrite handles registration and payment processing.
• The Salem Rainbow StrollminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative walking tour partnership for LGBTQ+ history tours in Salem, MA as part of MA250 commemorations. Joint initiative providing free walking tours to the community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries: Founded in 1952, ONE is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the United States and houses a major LGBTQ+ archival collection at USC. It is a primary peer given its comparable mission of preserving LGBTQ+ history, with deeper institutional backing.
• Lesbian Herstory Archives: Community-built LGBTQ+ archive in Brooklyn, NY, founded in 1974. Directly comparable to Queer History Boston as a grassroots, volunteer-supported LGBTQ+ archival organization with a focus on community collections and free public access.
• Schwules Museum Berlin: Germany's national LGBTQ+ museum, combining archives, exhibitions, and public programming. Comparable as a dedicated LGBTQ+ cultural heritage institution with archives, exhibitions, and educational events, though based in continental Europe.
• GLBT Historical Society: San Francisco-based LGBTQ+ history organization with archival collections, exhibitions, and public programs. Directly comparable as a regional LGBTQ+ archive offering tours, exhibits, and educational programs, serving a different U.S. metro.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Public Library: Large general-purpose library serving Boston with broader archival and special collections. Provides a partial overlap for local researchers and competing for archival relevance, but is a general incumbent rather than a focused LGBTQ+ specialist.

Regional players

• The ArQuives (Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives): Canada's largest LGBTQ+ archive, founded in 1973 in Toronto. Similar scope and mission of preserving LGBTQ+ history, but operates in a different country/geography and does not compete directly for Boston-based donors or audiences.
• New England Historic Genealogical Society (American Ancestors): Boston-based regional genealogical and historical archive. Overlaps with Queer History Boston on archival research services for New England residents, but serves a much broader audience and genealogy use case.

Emerging players

• Digital Transgender Archive: Digital-first collaboration digitizing trans-related historical materials across partner institutions. Comparable to Queer History Boston's Omeka-based digital collections effort, but with a narrower (trans-specific) focus and online-only delivery model.

Others

• Museum of African American History: Boston-based cultural heritage museum and existing co-programming partner of Queer History Boston. Comparable as a community-heritage institution with archival holdings, public events, and educational programming, serving a different demographic but with overlapping operational model.
• Documentary Educational Resources: Distribution and preservation organization for documentary film and social-issue media. Adjacent to Queer History Boston's audio/video archive and oral history work, though focused on distribution rather than collecting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/queerhistoryboston
• Xx.com/lgbtq_history

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The History Project