Over the years, the pair studied the images, attempting to decode the signs of “one hundred years of social history”, and found some recurring symbols.įor example, they suggest that posing together under an umbrella, between the 1880s and 1920s, probably signified a romantic relationship that wedding rings, bracelets and other tokens became increasingly common and reached a peak during WWII, when they were donned mainly by sailors and soldiers and that photo booths (which appeared in the USA from 1924) were significant because, as they didn’t require a photographer or a developer, they allowed a couple to take a portrait without the fear of being “caught”. New York : Vintage Books, Political Leadership and Organization 1977 in Rural. The story of the collection is told by Hugh and Neal in the essay “An accidental collection”, included in their book, Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s-1950s, published by 5 Continents Editions. With photos by Berkeley : University of California James David Givens.

Thanks to the pair’s formidable research and passion, today their collection amounts to over 2,800 vintage photographs spanning from roughly 1850 to 1951, shot in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Latvia, the UK and the USA. Browse 18,160 vintage gay stock photos and images available, or search for vintage gay men or vintage gay pride to find more great stock photos and pictures.