The Advocate shared a few photos from the beautiful new book LOVING. A Photographic History of Men in Love, and I found them so fascinating and, to be honest, somewhat heartbreaking.
Seeing these men, who look so in love (hence the name of the book), and knowing they had to hide that love and who they truly were from everyone in their lives, made my heart hurt a little. I can’t imagine what life was like back then for the LGBTQ+ community, though I know how hard it is still today in pretty much every part of the world.
The photos are intimate and stunning, and The Advocate describes that the book:
“…portrays romantic love between men in hundreds of moving and tender vernacular photographs taken during the 100-year period between the 1850s and 1950s. This visual narrative of astonishing sensitivity brings to light an until-now-unpublished collection of hundreds of snapshots, portraits, and group photos made in the most varied of contexts, both private and public. Some are formal studio portraits, others were shot at the beach, in suburban settings, in the countryside, and at home. The range of individuals shown is extensive, covering nineteenth-century working class men, fashionably dressed businessmen, university students, and soldiers and sailors of all ages—spanning the time between the Civil War and World War II, and into the 1950s.”
You can click here to order LOVING: A Photographic History of Men in Love, and check out The Advocate to see more and read stories of the photos.