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It鈥檚 a fact that queer people have always existed throughout history, despite whatever’s being said in the culture wars these days. But in case you needed some definitive evidence, there are scant few better ways to do so than by visiting Qtopia Sydney for , LOVING: A Photographic Collection of Love, 1850s-1950s.

Compiled from the same archive assembled by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell across 25 years that features in their photobook, LOVING showcases photos from the 1850s-1950s of queer love. Some photos show obvious signs of affection, while others are more subtle; nonetheless, they are invaluable historical documents to show the existence of queer people in a time of repression and underrepresentation.

There have been a number of exhibitions for LOVING since the photobook was published in 2020, but none yet have been hosted in a space so singularly tied to queer history as this one. Curating for this version has been undertaken by experienced curator Holly Riding, who says that creating the experience has been seriously rewarding.

鈥淚 have to say that it was incredibly emotional,鈥� says Holly of the curatorial process for this exhibition. 鈥淪eeing these photographs and starting to be able to connect their stories, the background context and providence of these images with the people was incredibly moving.鈥�

尝翱痴滨狈骋听is potent evidence of queer existence

Explaining the process of curation for LOVING to Star Observer, Holly says: 鈥淲hat I was looking for in terms of building the exhibition was different examples of couples from a range of years; there are gender-diverse people in the photos, and one lesbian couple on display. So I was not just focusing on the early 1850s, but a vast array throughout the time period.

鈥淚 was also looking at the types of occupations that a lot of the couples hinted at through their portrait photography. I really wanted to speak to not only the diversity you鈥檙e seeing in the photographs of the couples, but the diversity of class and how people managed to financially access portrait photography, and the steps they would have had to go through to have their love documented.鈥�

The earliest of these photos harken back to the blossoming of photography as a medium, and a time where homosexuality was condemned and queer history was often not preserved. But the very existence of these photographs, Holly says, challenges our very notions of queer existence in the century that LOVING covers.

Holly shares an example: 鈥淔or instance, one of the photographs is a couple positioned on top of a set design featuring a moon that was specifically designed, influenced from Hollywood cinema as a romantic, luxurious setting for couples to have their photo taken. To be in that environment in a time where other heterosexual couples were lining up to have their photographs taken鈥� it鈥檚 quite heroic.鈥�

“Celebration [has] to be fueled by how far we’ve come”

LOVING arrives at Qtopia Sydney just in time for Mardi Gras and will be displayed all the way through until Pride Month. Although the parties and parades are a staple of these events, Holly comments that being able to engage with history like it is on display in this exhibition is vitally important.

鈥淲e鈥檝e always existed as a queer community, but it hasn鈥檛 been documented and it hasn鈥檛 been recorded in history, and this collection proves that we鈥檝e always been here,鈥� they say. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely vital because we can celebrate where we are today, but we need to acknowledge how far we鈥檝e come – not only as a society, but within the queer community itself.鈥�

鈥淚 think in celebrating Mardi Gras, Pride Month and all of the activities that we have today in celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities, it鈥檚 so important for that celebration to be fueled by how far we鈥檝e come through our history.鈥�

LOVING will be on display at Qtopia Sydney from 5February until 30 June.