Loving: Photographs of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s

Drawn from the archive of Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, and beginning with a single photo found in Dallas in the 1990s that captured the 'unmistakeable look of love', Loving has grown into an archive of over 4,000 photographs. These images capture everyday moments between men in love: holding hands, embracing, posing cheek to cheek, captured at a time when same-sex relationships were often illegal or unspoken.

Through these intimate photographs, Loving honours the resilience of those whose affection had to remain hidden, and resonates today as a testament to how far our societies have come. Loving is both a remembrance and a celebration, a reminder to younger generations to never to take freedom and equality for granted, and a tribute to the universal truth that love, in all its forms, is the foundation of human dignity and life.

Exhibition launch to be held on Thursday 29 January, 5.30pm to 7pm.

Presented by The European Union and the City of Melbourne.