25 Vintage Photos of Gay & Lesbian Couples
By: Joe Thompson
2.10.2011
Gays and lesbians have been around since the dawn of time, but many of us only think of same-gender couples in a post-Stonewall world. It's almost as if they couldn't possibly exist in public before that era and stayed hidden in the shadows—the two women "friends" who (sadly) never married so they lived together, or the rich man and his attaché who kept to themselves in that big house down the block.
However, some mystery person is changing that concept.
These aren't just images that one can interpret as being gay. From the way the various subjects hold hands, look at each other, or even kiss— these people are definitely more than friends. It's a fun, sweet, and supremely romantic tribute to Valentine's Day. Enjoy.
Comments
I find it amazing that gay couples even existed way back then. It was actually VERY dangerous to be homosexual in those days...you could lose your job,sent to a mental institution etc. Very nice to see the pics though. thank you.
Thanks, these are great. So sweet.
These are wonderful! Thank you :-)!
These are the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen, they're so inspirational.
They found a way to show what LOVE really is.
Absolutely beautiful. Its great to see how "the love that dare not speak its name" found a way to whisper in these frozen moments.
Happy and as they really ARE!
What a wonderful sight. In a relationship now for almost 21 years & nice to see our kind of love has flowered, documented before our lifetime. Great photos of expressed love.
Finally this site has something I want to see...
excellent job - Thank-you
OMG I love this very much. They were sooo sweet!
I have a book that is FULL of Vintage photos dating back WAY early! The books called "Dear Friends". Look it up! Please! :D
<3 Happy V-day
This is epic
Awe
hey justin..do u like being gay???
Well done.
Baby, you were born this way...
Fantastic photographs. I'm impressed. Usually the content on this site is pretty vapid but this is truly special.
Homosexuality is timeless.
Ain't Love Grand sums them all up in a nutshell! All of these couples appeared to live the lives they loves and loved the lives they lived! Good for them!!!
This is profoundly moving. Everyone in these photos look supremelyt happy. Absolutely LOVE this.
Captivatingly sweet. How anyone can honestly deny the love that shines through these photos...is beyond me. This is what the gay community needs to share of themselves with those who have the audacity to believe gay love is anything less than true.
How nice to see pictures that show true love, not just nice bodies. My late partner and myself were like that ... now aged 55 and disabled I am trying to find another one. I live in hopes but these pics have given me fresh hope.
it was nice to see these beautiful photos from such a closeted time
Truly beautiful.
We do need so much more of this type love today in the gay (& all others)community.
I whole-heartedly agree with the post by Gary.
Unfortunately, much of gay media has become an incredibly shallow entity and it does trickle down to difficult situations in the day to day. But alas, there are indeed plenty of lovely couples today that are all about the love. We should certainly promote that more vividly than we do.
wow i love it all of then .. i and gay and i proud to be gay . i was married to the sane man for thiety years , and i do miss him . he passway on me in 1999 . god did i love hin . and look at your photo jusy made me think back with my man . we had it hard love he as black and i was white and toy no the kind of shit was said to us . you see i and a she he . i have been a girl all my life and he love for that , so thank you for all though beautiful photo i love then be proud and be gay love Rickie
Absolutely the BEST post on this site yet! These pics are by far sexier than any of the half naked buff boys regularly seen on this site. The LOVE shines through in every one of these vintage pics.
Thank you, thank you, thank you... MORE MORE MORE!!!!
How sweet! :)
Wow. This is soooo very romantic! Old fashioned old world love...that's the kind of love I strive to find so hard these days. I'm 40 years old and I'm STILL looking for love like that.
I so enjoyed seeing these photos. It made me smile. I hope they mostly had good lives together.
So cute :)
would you not love to know each story
I believe that nearly all of the photos are pictures of genuine same-sex couples, but photo #10 looks like 2 young schoolgirls just practicing dance. These girls look like they're 12 years old. They aren't kissing, their faces are just overlapping in the picture because of the camera angle.
these are absolutely adorable, such a sense of passion in them.
PRIDE
Ahrend Harvey mentions the book "Dear Friends: American Photographs of Men Together, 1840-1918" by David Deitcher, that has over 100 photographs of men in intimate poses. However, one of the main points raised by the author is that before the 1900s it was not taboo for male friends to be much more intimate, even in photographs, in the West. Indeed the book doesn't say that the photographs are of gay couples, but rather that they are "just" friends, and that the very concept of male friendship changed. Men were no longer expected, or even allowed, to have close male friends, yet alone touch them. Male friendship has practically died out entirely when compared to how it used to be. I believe that it was in this book that the author relates stories of how it was perfectly acceptable for officers, in full dress uniform, to walk holding hands in London during the late 1800s. Heartbreaking really, that our society has been allowed to isolate men in this way.
I'm saying that the people photographed in the collection here are not gay, especially since all of them might be after 1900-1914 when attitudes changed so much, at least for men.
being a gay man who loves the 40's/50's vintage lifestyle, I absolutely love these!
Amazing pictures...amazing love.....
Happy Valentines to the love of my
life " Mark " 33 years and still I love
you more each day! Tony
It is great to see pics of people in love.
These photos are just lovely! I can see the love and tederness between these couples.
"I'm saying that the people photographed in the collection here are not gay, especially since all of them might be after 1900-1914 when attitudes changed so much, at least for men."
Sorry, I meant to say "I'm NOT saying that the people..."
Many topics you cover are shallow but only because gay seems to be shallow and superficial focusing only on the outside and how pretty the boys are. All that seems to matter on this site is how sexy someone is and how their body looks.
This time though, I am very impressed. Only because this is a very poignant and beautiful expression of love in times where this was completely forbidden.
Beautifully impressive.
just beautiful!
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