Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Loving II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell is the much-anticipated companion to their acclaimed 2020 book Loving, and expands the only known photographic archive in the world devoted entirely to romantic love between men from the pre-Stonewall era.
Featuring over 300 never-before-seen images from the Nini-Treadwell Collection, Loving II is more than just a visual record — it is a poignant reminder that queer love has always existed, even when it had to hide. In a time when LGBTQ+ rights are once again being challenged, this collection serves as both art and quiet resistance, offering solace, beauty, and validation.
The authors write powerfully in the introduction about today’s “Dickensian best of times and worst of times,” where legal progress collides with a rising wave of cultural backlash. Against this backdrop, Loving II becomes not only a meaningful gift but also a culturally relevant artifact — perfect for features around LGBTQ+ visibility for readers who value history, identity, and humanity.
The book is the only known photographic collection of over 4,000 images in an array of formats — ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tintypes, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, carte de visites, and snapshots — capturing over a century of evolving photographic techniques alongside enduring expressions of love and partnership.
These images document not only changing styles and eras but something far more radical: the truth that romantic love between men has always existed and, when it could, it left behind evidence.
Learn more about the book and order a copy at loving1000.org.
Male couples featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
Male couple featured in LOVING II: More Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s
Courtesy of the Nini-Treadwell Inc. ©2025 Loving II by 5 Continents Editions
