But, says Lifshitz, that in itself is part of his fascination with the images: “It’s interesting to see homosexuality in everyone’s lives in some way,” he says.
Of course, without corroboration from the subjects themselves, it’s impossible to know exactly the nature of their relationships. Yet, these images, which I’ve found through the years, were telling another story-one about a homosexuality without inhibitions, gentle and playful.” 'Since most of the men and women in these photos are unknown, it's hard to know for sure if they were a gay couple or just 'good friends. Unfortunately, so many of these photos were purposely destroyed by horrified family members,' said Gent. “Despite the many battles and certain victories that ensued, the homosexual remained a victim in the collective consciousness a hidden man. 'These photos represent just a small fragment of our Gay and Lesbian History. “With each discovery I was stunned, for these images didn’t match the official history of homosexuality as it has been conveyed to us,” says Lifshitz.
Now, an accompanying photo book, The Invisibles: Vintage Portraits of Love and Pride, shares vintage photographs from the early twentieth century depicting various same-sex couples. French filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz first explored the hidden history of gay love in the 2012 documentary, Les Invisibles, which includes fascinating interviews with gay men and lesbians born between the two World Wars
