But, there is something seductive, even heartwarming, to want to believe that they embarked on the holiday romance of a lifetime. It’s also worth noting that the Polaroids were taken on the cusp of the HIV and AIDS epidemic which laid waste a generation of gay men like those depicted, many starting out in life.Īs for Buzz and Tommy, all we have are clues and it’s unlikely we’ll ever know their story. The book’s photographs and Polaroids are a testament to love and affection between men at a time when being homosexual (or gay) was illegal, with persecution and harsh prison sentences when caught. NYC Polaroids 1975 –1983” and “Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950″ and the discovery of a photograph from 1949 of two men with a handwritten note on the back: “To Buzz, I’ll always remember the times we spent together … All my love, your Tommy.” This section is a happy accident, prompted by the publication of two books “63 E 9th Street.
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