1890s-1900s Queer Gender Expression Photo Archive

[LGBTQ] [Cross-Dressing] Photo archive documenting turn-of-the-century queer gender expression, featuring both formal studio portraits and candid private moments. 17 photographs and real photo post cards measuring between 4" x 6" and 3.5" x 4". Circa 1890s-1900s. The collection provides a rare and fascinating glimpse into the ways LGBTQ individuals expressed themselves within the social constraints of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes 6 silver gelatin photographs depicting private gatherings in what appears to be a domestic parlor setting. These photographs portray a group of female born individuals dressed in men’s formal (truncated) attire, including top hats, suits, and bow ties, engaged in playful and theatrical activities. One image includes two women performing a dramatic waltz, another a humorous tableau of one individual lifting another in a fainting pose, and a lively musical scene with one person playing a banjo while another strums a guitar. The furnishings, including ornate chairs, wall art, and decorative objects, situate these gatherings in an upper-middle-class home, suggesting the privacy afforded by such spaces enabled these moments of gender play and queer expression to flourish. Additionally, the archive includes a series of 11 real photo post cards showcasing studio portraits that capture costumed performances in traditional Spanish attire, as well as 1 postcard of contemporary western attire of that time. Many are post stamped from 1903 and have handwritten inscriptions en verso in French. These images feature pairs of female born individuals, in gender blending roles, with one dressed as a toreador and the other as a flamenco dancer. The intimacy of the poses—such as one figure leaning in to whisper while the other gazes back coyly—exudes a playful, coded language of queerness. One photo exudes a cheeky pose where a toreador offers their partner a flower, and another where the duo serenades each other with guitars. This archive is significant for its documentation of queer expression in a time when such representation was rare and often veiled under the guise of theatrical performance or close friendship. The photographs are well-preserved for their age, with crisp details in the silver gelatin prints and only light wear to the postcards. Overall very good condition. Through subversive use of costume, performance, and affectionate poses, these images speak to the resilience and creativity of queer individuals navigating their identities during an era when open expression was often dangerous. (Inventory #: 21304)