A new exhibition is now being hosted outside the Special Collections and Archives on the lower ground floor of the Aldham Robarts Library. A Look Inside the Closet: Peter Farrer and Cross-Dressing, produced by 3rd year History of Art and Museum Studies student Leah Bartlett as part of their Major Project which focuses on LGBTQ+ fashion. This exhibition displays material from the Peter Farrer archive that was given to LJMU Special Collections and Archives in 2017. This archive includes over 650 different items such as magazines, books, catalogues, short stories, newsletters, manuscripts and letters.

Leah has been volunteering in the archive for over a year, where they began box listing this collection. Through this they got to see all the fascinating material included in the archive and this is what inspired their Major Project. They also worked on the Keith Medley archive. Prior to this exhibition, they staged another exhibition alongside Joseph Dorrian and Anne Foulkes, which displayed Keith Medley photograph negatives and the way the archives have conserved and repacked the collection.

Viewers to A Look Inside the Closet: Peter Farrer and Cross-Dressing have the opportunity to see part of this great collection, exploring works published by Peter Farrer, Articles on the History of Cross-dressing, magazine spreads featuring Outfits and Costume, and articles and books on Drag and Theatre. Leah aimed to show the different styles and fashion of Cross-dressing as well as its influence and prevalence in history, which is usually overlooked. It also serves to show how far the community has come in terms of acceptance and inclusion, celebrating the expression of self through fashion and art.

Visitors are also able to gain further insight through the exhibition catalogue that viewers may read as they look at the four different display cabinets. In addition, there is a website that accompanies this exhibition. The website offers even more insight, allowing visitors to explore beyond what is presented in the exhibition, giving them access to detailed information. The website provides visitors with; an article on the history of cross-dressing to provide even greater detail on the topic; access to articles that cannot be fully read within the cabinets; and a timeline on LGBTQ+ fashion ranging from the 18th century to present day. To access the website please click this link: https://negativespace0.wordpress.com/