Men in Love, 1850s-1950s: A Visual Conversation (SF Main Library)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

A hidden history of queer love comes into focus in  Loving II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s, a powerful new collection from authors and collectors Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell. A follow-up to their acclaimed book Loving, this volume features more than 300 never-before-seen vernacular photographs capturing quiet, romantic moments between men across a century of affection, resilience and connection.

Sourced from flea markets, attics and forgotten albums around the world, the images reveal the enduring power of love and the quiet courage to express it. Together, the two volumes form one of the largest known archives of historic male couple photography.

This in-conversation event includes a visual slideshow, audience Q&A and book signing. Moderated by Marc Stein.

Marc Stein is co-editor of Queer Pasts, director of OutHistory, and president-elect of the Organization of American Historians. He is the author of five books, with a sixth forthcoming, and teaches at San Francisco State University, where he is the Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Professor of Constitutional Law and U.S. History.

Connect:

Loving – Website | Loving – Instagram

This program is presented as part of the Litquake Literary Festival 2025.

Litquake – Website | Litquake – Instagram | Litqake – Facebook

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