Hugh Nini & Neal Treadwell ("Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s"): The Embrace Heard Around the World

Dennis is joined via Zoom by Hugh Nini & Neal Treadwell, the real-life couple behind the remarkable new book Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s, a gorgeous collection of vintage photos they've collected of male couples in love. Hugh and Neal talk about the day they discovered their first photo, the rush of discovery that comes with every new find, the way their collection quietly grew without anyone else really knowing about it, and what went into choosing the cover photo and the title Loving. The couple also talk about their "50/50" test, which determines whether a photo will be considered for the collection or not, and the one couple featured in the book whose story they actually know something about--it involves a ring and a shoebox and you might cry. Neal talks about the job in cosmetics that allowed him to hunt for photos in different cities and Hugh talks about how the people in these photos didn't face what he calls "the homophobic industrial complex" that emerged in more recent decades. Other topics include: umbrellas as a signifier, the first selfie, how Hugh and Neal first met, their own photo moment at the March in Washington in the 90's and the incredible responses they've gotten from all around the world. https://www.loving1000.org/