old school love

Stunning new photography book showcases men in love between 1850 and 1950

“LOVING: A Photographic History” is a new photography book by husbands Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell. The project began 20 years ago, when they stumbled across a box of old photographs in an antique store in Dallas. Among them was a picture of two men who appeared to be a couple.

Explains Nini and Treadwell:

Our collection began twenty years ago when we came across an old photo that we thought was one of a kind. The subjects in this vintage photo were two young men, embracing and gazing at one another–clearly in love.

We looked at that photo, and it seemed to look back at us. And in that singular moment, it reflected us back to ourselves. These two young men, in front of a house, were embracing and looking at one another in a way that only two people in love would do.

Dating sometime around 1920, the young men were dressed unremarkably; the setting was suburban and out in the open. The open expression of the love that they shared also revealed a moment of determination. Taking such a photo, during a time when they would have been less understood than they would be today, was not without risk.

We were intrigued that a photo like this could have survived into the twenty-first century. Who were they? And how did their snapshot end up at an antique shop in Dallas, Texas, bundled together with a stash of otherwise ordinary vintage photos?

From there, Nini and Treadwell began collecting vintage photos of men in love dating between 1845 and 1955. Now, they’ve compiled their collection into a stunning 336-page coffee table book of never-before-published images, including snapshots, portraits, and group photos.

“LOVING: A Photographic History” is currently available for pre-order. It hits bookstores on October 14.

Scroll down for a sampling…

 

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