The Delegation of the European Union to Australia and HOTA, Home of the Arts are proud to bring to Queensland an exhibition that celebrates humanity and love in all forms. LOVING: Photographs of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s invites viewers to experience a rare collection of vintage images depicting male couples between the 1850s and 1950s, which reveal the quiet courage of love lived in private. Drawn from the archive of Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, partners and collectors based in New York, the photographs were gathered over 25 years from flea markets, antique stores, family albums and online auctions. What began as a single photo found in Dallas in the 1990s, which captured what Nini and Treadwell described as the ‘unmistakeable look of love’, has now grown into an archive of over 4,000 photographs spanning Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.The exhibition comes to the Gold Coast following its successful tour of southern Australia (Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney) following its debut in 2023 at the Musée Rath in Geneva, 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. The identities of most couples remain unknown, but their expressions of love are evident.
“This collection shows that love is universal and timeless, or as old as humans. Some of these images are from Europe, some from America, and they all reflect the same thing: humanity,” His Excellency Gabriele Visentin, EU Ambassador to Australia “We are proud to be co-present LOVING and support visibility, dignity and equality for all. The European Union and Australia share a deep respect for human rights, but it was not always this way. Today, we can celebrate how far we have come.”
“The presentation of the Loving exhibition at HOTA, Home of the Arts, highlights our commitment to sharing compelling and diverse stories and ideas that resonate with local audiences and visitors to the Gold Coast. In partnership with the European Union Delegation, this exhibition offers a glimpse into a larger archive of diverse photographs that capture the beauty of men in love from mid-19th to mid-20th centuries,” David Don commented.
The exhibition also highlights a milestone: in 2026, Australia marks the 30th anniversary of the High Court ruling that fully decriminalised homosexuality across the country. LOVING is a tribute to how far both the EU and Australia have progressed in embracing freedom, equality and dignity for all people.The Exhibition is running from Sat 6 Jun – Sun 19 Jul. It is open 7 days a week from 10am-4pm and entry is free.