We all have heard the story: Two people of the same sex living their lives together being labeled as “good friends” despite evidence that would suggest that these people were very much in love with each other. This narrative turns into erasure of LGBTQ+ people in history. But what if we had confirmation of these stories thanks to photographs? And what if we used those photographs as not only evidence but as a teaching opportunity?
In Cornell University Library’s Rare and Manuscript Collections, the Human Sexuality Collection houses several personal photograph albums of LGBTQ+ couples and their communities. These photographs give representation to moments of queer love and joy – unfortunately, not always the story we get to tell when discussing LGBTQ+ people in history. Examples include:
Several of the albums lack details such as names and clear dates – highlighting some of the challenges of archival research. When used in archival instruction, these albums provide students with opportunities to practice visual literacy skills as well as how to explore an item’s materiality for clues when words fail us. Additionally, these albums open the door for conversations about concepts like archival silences, historic collecting practices, and current efforts to better document diverse lived experiences.
