Vintage gay pic

What was it like to look at these photos for the first time?

When we started scanning images from the 1950s, we were immediately blown away by joy.

“All social classes and ages are represented, from workers to businessmen, including students, soldiers and sailors.”

Many of the photographs were in near-perfect condition when Nini and Treadwell found them, which suggests they were safely hidden away somewhere over the decades. So far, more than 4,000 such images—all taken between the 1850s and 1950s—have been found.

Now, 400 of these romantic snapshots are on display at the Musée Rath in Geneva, Switzerland, which hosts the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire’s temporary exhibitions.

What are we looking for in the faces of these people who dared to challenge the mores of their time to seek solace together? Taken in 1927, the snapshot showed two men embracing. It's really wonderful.

A new exhibition features romantic snapshots found at flea markets, antique shops and online auctions

In a series of photographs, men from around the world kiss, hug, picnic and gaze into each others’ eyes.

Flipping through the book, it wasn’t that I felt that I learned a great deal about being LGBTQ, but what gave me comfort was the feeling that we’re not going anywhere. It's easy for us as a newer generation to think they must have just been living in hell — but to look back at these photos, the people in them are happy. I felt like, oh my god, I'm looking into the faces of people I know today.

The longtime residents, who were mostly straight families from Long Island, used Cherry Grove as a fishing spot and for the amazing beach.

Gay men and women working in New York City as costumers, directors, actors, and dancers were referred to as the “theater people” by locals. In one, two men hold up a sign that says “Not married but willing to be.” In another, a shirtless man gives another man a piggyback ride.

As a trans woman, I definitely felt like I was not present in Cherry Grove at that time, but gay men and women were there, carving out space that I get to inhabit today. “They couldn’t do it when they were alive, but they can do it now, and I think that’s really powerful.”

Nini and Treadwell, who have been together for more than 30 years, stumbled upon the first photograph in their collection at an antique shop in Dallas, Texas.

Simply having photos developed that reflected homosexuality could get you arrested. We have a lot of lost history that was thrown away, so these photos from the archives add so much to our knowledge of what gay life was like. Nini and Treadwell saw themselves in the photograph and decided to bring it home.

They thought that first photograph was just a one-off, and they didn’t expect to find others like it.

Soon these “theater people” would start to formulate a strong community where people were able to be openly gay; they could cross-dress and play with gender norms.

What makes these photos so wonderful is that they are very rare. When we see them as connected, we feel more whole, and that’s what love is about for many of us anyway.

The book, Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s-1950s (5 Continents Editions), is available online.