Native Texans, collectors Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell are arts professionals currently living in New York City. Their collection has grown over a period of 20 years to include over 2700 images.

What do images of men in love during a time when it was illegal tell us? What are we looking for in the faces of these people who dared to challenge the mores of their time to seek solace together? Flipping through the book, it wasn't that I felt that I learned a great deal about being LGBTQ, but what gave me comfort was the feeling that we're not going anywhere. Seeing ourselves in the past is as much about being certain of our present and, dare I say, our future. When we see them as connected, we feel more whole, and that's what love is about for many of us anyway.--Hrag Vartanian "Hyperallergic"

The sweetness of the images is palpable, and may even startle in their brazenness, such as the photo of the men holding a preprinted sign that reads: "Not Married But Willing to Be." ....The Nini-Treadwell collection...not only allows us to imagine what it must have felt like to discover this image and hold it and freely breathe in these loving looks. It also becomes a promise we keep to these forgotten men, acknowledging their devotion, who loved despite all the odds.--Jerry Portwood "Rolling Stone"

...a powerful testament to same-sex couples and the strength they demonstrated prior to the Stonewall uprising.-- "Huffington Post"

Loving, a book of more than 300 pictures...dating from before the Civil War to just after WWII...captures connections so deep--and radiates happiness so pure--it simply overtakes you.--Bill Shapiro "Esquire Magazine"

As well as showing the evolution of attitudes, hairstyles and fashion through the decades, the images also chart the development of photography as a medium. The collection's oldest pictures were made using early forms of camera, and include ambrotypes, which were produced on glass, and daguerreotypes, which appeared on metal plates. The archive travels through to the emergence of paper photography and then photo booths, which, like the various shots taken in the reflections of mirrors, eliminated the need to confide in a photographer.-- "CNN Style"

....the pictures' charm lies in the mystery. Considering their time's realities, the affection expressed in the images is bold and kept out of sight....Regardless, joy inherent to being in love remains prevalent.-- "AnOther Magazine"

A new book titled, LOVING: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s was released a few months back, and has since become a high-profile artifact of gay love throughout the years. The large, gorgeous coffee table book is filled with over 300 images taken from around the world. It's a stunning and visceral reminder that men have been in love with each other throughout the course of history, and that no law or regulation can dictate true love.-- "Passport"

...it is stunning to see so many images gathered in one tangible and astounding book. To see men publicly displaying and recording their love during a time where many had thought that homosexual documentation didn't even exist feels validating, to say the least. Gratifying. In its own way...[LOVING] is a love letter to the world.-- "W42ST"

Here's a gorgeous photo/history book you need to add to your coffee table collection: LOVING: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s-1950s. It was published last October and received rave reviews and became a best seller.... While there's no proof obviously that every photo in this book depicts a gay male couple exhibiting sexual interest in one another; some of these photos could very well depict close but not sexual relationships, they're still beautiful examples of male bonding and fascinating looks at long gone eras.-- "Seattle Gay Scene"

Finding these photographs is a rescue mission for Nini and Treadwell, and they see themselves as stewards of the once lost images. They haven't shared their collection with anyone until now, mostly because they didn't think anyone would want to see it. To their surprise, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and often emotional. The images have resonated with all ages, genders, and orientations, political or otherwise.-- ""In Site," The Washington Post "

In public, the men [in LOVING]...were compelled to hide their sexual identities. But in these candid photos, their resilience is plainly visible.-- "The Dallas Morning News"

Publisher: 5 Continents Editions

Pub date: 2020-10-14

Length: 336 pages