MORNING GOODS

PHOTOS: the Victorian grandfathers of gay porn (NSFW)

The poster boy of Victorian era gay porn: Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900) Irish literary genuis, in flamboyant costume. 1882 studio portait by Napoleon Sarony.
The poster boy of gay love in the Victorian era, good ol’ Oscar Wilde.

Anyone claiming that the Victorian era lacked excitement clearly hasn’t laid eyes on these snapshots. Behold, the grandfathers of gay porn! Yes, they grappled with cholera and shorter lifespans, but they also ignited a spark in the world of LGBTQ+ expression that continues to blaze brightly today.

We recently stumbled across the Tumblr blog Victorian Gentleman in Love. Devoted to images of gay men caught in loving and, at times, compromising positions, Victorian Gentleman in Love is a heartfelt, and sometimes hot, blog proving that gay love has been around since the beginning.

This led us to investigate more vintage gay porn and — lo and behold — we learned there are tons of websites devoted to it. Who knew? (We knew…folks are into all sorts of things.)

A black and white vintage GIF of two men kissing.
Photo credit: Gay-fetish-xxx.com

Once we got over the fact that the subjects in these photographs have likely been dead for more than a century, we came to appreciate the pictures for what they were. These men were the original pioneers of homoerotic porn. They give a whole new meaning to the term “the Gay ’90s.”

(Sadly, we had to choose the least NSFW of them. Who’da thunk a group of Victorian men would violate our site’s guidelines? You can see the steamy ones here.)

Scroll down to see some of our favorite pics of the grandfathers of gay porn:

Beautiful Black love

Come on, baby…light my fire

A vintage photo of two gay cowboys lighting each other's cigars.
Photo credit: Victorian Gentlemen in Love on Tumblr

The apple of my eye

Best seat in the house

Can I have this dance?

Rooftop romance

Let’s stay in bed

In your arms

Just horsin’ around

Little Latin boy in drag, why are you crying?

Time to pretend

Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me

The poster boys of gay, Victorian love: Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas

These vintage snapshots offer a glimpse into a time when love dared to defy conventions. Which of these historic guy-on-guy couples is your fave? Let us know in the comments below!

And for a daily dose of LGBTQ+ culture and history that’s as timeless as these photos, make sure you subscribe to the Queerty newsletter. We promise to serve you the juiciest, queerest bits from the past and present!

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated