Worth 1,000 words

PHOTOS: This incredible Pride exhibition explores the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement

Get thee to a library! But not just any library.

To commemorate New York City hosting World Pride in 2019 on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the New York Public Libray curated a stunning exhibition exploring the early fight for LGBTQ rights.

The exhibit featured the photographs of Kay Tobin Lahusen and Diana Davies—”pioneering photojournalists who captured the pivotal events of this era and changed the ways LGBTQ people perceived themselves”–along with items from the Library’s “vast archival holdings in LGBTQ history.”

Related: PHOTOS: These Vintage Gay Pride Photos Are Absolutely Everything

Via the Library:

The Stonewall Riots were a flash point in LGBTQ history. After the riots that took place at the Stonewall Inn in June 1969, the LGBTQ civil rights movement went from handfuls of pioneering activists to a national movement mobilizing thousands.

You may not be able to catch the exhibit anymore, but luckily you can still preview some of Lahusen and Davies’ powerful photos below:

Here’s curator Jason Baumann with a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition:

Head here for more info.

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