The photos were more than a way to freeze instants all the time. Since the 19th century, cameras have captured many ways in which intimacy, rebellion, and strange people expressed their identity. Through Queer Lens: The History of Photography We will revisit this visual record and unearthed how photos of both survival and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community have turned out.
Visibility Media
From early days, photography provided something other art forms could not: immediacy. Portraits can document forbidden relationships and signal strange identities with subtle gestures. These images were often exchanged privately and provided a form of affirmation in a world that did not allow open recognition.
Even during the period of censorship and erasure, the photos remained lifelines. Many were hidden, destroyed, and oppressed, but survived well enough to testify to the resilience of strange expressions.
Reclaiming “Queer”
The exhibition also highlights the complicated history of the term “queer.” For decades it was used as a slur. Today, many people have recall it as the term empowerment and inclusiveness. The text on the wall within the show explains this shift and frags as a broad gender neutral umbrella that acknowledges those who are often overlooked by narrower identifiers rather than as a shaming.
The curator emphasizes that the term is used intentionally and respectfully to honor the diversity of identities expressed in collections.
Shared Archives
Through Queer Lens It highlights the role of photography in building communities and shaping cultures. The exhibition saw private snapshots, stage portraits and later became a touchstone of strange visibility. Each photograph conveys evidence of how individuals navigated identity, connection and survival through changing social landscapes.
By bringing together these pieces, the show creates a visual archive that resists disappearance. It reminds visitors that queer life was often pushed into margins, but the photos preserved fragments of truth that cannot be completely erased.
Explore the book
The power of photography to capture reality, or intimate approximations, is always intertwined with identity. Since the invention of the camera in 1839, the queer community has used mediums to assert itself, resist erasure and celebrated its connection.
Queerlens Booksit is publicly available to accompany you. Exhibition These themes are being expanded at the J. Paul Getty Museum (June 17 – September 28, 2025). It features essays by scholars and artists exploring strange cultures and identities, along with a rich selection of images, including portraits, visual records of relatives, and documentary photographs of early strange groups and protests.
![Angela Seal [now A. Hans Scheirl]. 1993, Photo by Katherine Opie. Silver bleach print. Museum of Modern Art, New York. A gift from Helen Kornbram in honor of Roxana Marcosi. ©Catherine Opie, Courny Regen Projects, Los Angeles, Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, London, Seoul, Thomas Dane Gallery, London and Naples](https://gayety.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/queer-lens-1-1-509x640.jpg)
This volume has become an integral companion to the exhibition, looking deeper into the way photography has formed strange vision for readers. Interested readers can purchase the book here.
Accessibility and Language
In line with the mission of inclusion, the exhibition is featured in both English and Spanish. This dual language approach emphasises the curator’s intentions to make strange history accessible to more audiences and ensure that these stories belong to everyone.
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
