For the past 30 years, French screenwriter and director Sebastien Lifshitz has been frequenting thrift stores and flea markets around the world looking for vintage photographs and photo albums to add to his growing collection. During one of his searches, he came upon a photo album that belonged to a gay couple in the 1950s. The photos inside tell a beautiful, fascinating story. Take a look!
The album held vintage photographs of couples, who at the time, didn’t have the luxury of being who they are outside of close family and friends.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
It was considered a scandal back then, but that didn’t stop them from bravely documenting their lives together.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
“It was quite unusual to have intimate photographs of gay people because most of the time they had to be very discreet,” said Sebastien.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
At the time when same-sex partnerships were viewed as taboo and oftentimes immoral, these couples risked so much by having their memories captured, immortalized (so to speak) in these photographs.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
The photos give us insight into the lives they fearlessly lived and the love they bravely shared. A life without inhibitions, a love without the need to conform to gender norms.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
What mattered to them, and perhaps what was more important, was that they lived a life of happiness and acceptance, from one another.
Sebastien Lifshitz
Sebastien Lifshitz
I mean, isn’t that how love’s supposed to be?
Sebastien Lifshitz
Intrigued and inspired by his discovery, Lifshitz put together a documentary entitled Les Invisibles.
Excerpt LES INVISIBLES (2012) Credit: Richard Lormand
H/t Dose