Hard to imagine : gay male eroticism in photography and film from their beginnings to Stonewall

Spanning more than a century of photography and film, "Hard to Imagine" is the first visual chronicle of the evolution of gay male image culture, from the canonical works of art (photography and cinema), to the private and often highly explicit productions of amateurs. This comprehensive work explores a vast, eclectic tradition in its totality, analyzing the aesthetics of the visual imagery, its production, circulation, and consumption. In this visual history of homoerotic image-making in its first century, Thomas Waugh brings together nearly four hundred photographs and film stills, from archives and personal collections in Europe and North America. Waugh identifies four primary aspects of homoerotic photography and film - the artistic, the commercial, the illicit, and the politico-scientific - tracing their development against a background of advances in visual technology. A pathbreaking examination of the interplay between gay film and photography, gay life, and the larger social and political world, Hard to Imagine is a model for social and cultural historians. Interweaving an analysis of these images in their gay cultural context with the broader social and legal implications, Thomas Waugh offers a pioneering chapter in both gay and visual history. Hard to Imagine: Gay Male Eroticism in Photography and Film from Their Beginnings to Stonewall, took 13 years to research and write. Its release was delayed eight full months after its initial planned publication date, due to difficulty finding a printer willing to handle the book's sexually explicit homoerotic imagery. Author description: Thomas Waugh (b. 1948) is a Canadian critic, lecturer, author, actor, and activist, best known for his extensive work on documentary film and eroticism in the history of LGBT cinema and art. A professor emeritus at Concordia University, he retired in 2017 after having taught for 41 years in the film studies program of the School of Cinema, holding the position of research chair in documentary film and sexual representation. He was also the director of the Concordia HIV/AIDS Project, 1993-2017, a program providing a platform for research and conversations involving HIV/AIDS in the Montréal area. He is a two-time Lambda Literary Award nominee, garnering nominations in the Visual Arts category at the 15th Lambda Literary Awards in 2003 for Out/Lines: Underground Gay Graphics From Before Stonewall, and at the 17th Lambda Literary Awards in 2005 for Lust Unearthed: Vintage Gay Graphics from the DuBek Collection. He is also the recipient of the SCMS (Society for Cinema and Media Studies) Katherine Singer Kovács Book Award for The Conscience of Cinema: The Work of Joris Ivens, 1912-1989. Author, compiler, or editor of at least 14 books, Waugh was co-editor with Matthew Hays of the 19-book series Queer Film Classics (Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver 2008-2019), and the extended 34-book series with McGill-Queen's University Press (2020-2025). His articles on the history of homoerotic film and photography have appeared in the Village Voice, Cineaction!, JUMP CUT, The Body Politic, and Porn Studies, amongst other publications. As of 2024, his most recent book has been the award-winning collection of thirty original essays, 'I Confess! Constructing the Sexual Self In the Internet Age' (2019, edited with Brandon Arroyo; foreword by Ken Plummer). Hard To Imagine Is The First Work To Chronicle In Detail The Evolution Of Gay Male Erotic Image Culture, From The Canonical Works Of Art Cinema And Photography To The Private And Often Highly Explicit Productions Of Amateurs. In This Visual History Of Homoerotic Image-making In Its First Century, Thomas Waugh Brings Together Nearly Four Hundred Photographs And Film Stills, From Archives And Personal Collections In Europe And North America. Waugh Identifies Four Primary Aspects Of Homoerotic Photography And Film - The Artistic, The Commercial, The Illicit, And The Politico-scientific - Tracing Their Development Against A Background Of Advances In Visual Technology. This Comprehensive Work Explores A Vast, Eclectic Tradition In Its Totality, Analyzing The Visual Imagery In Addition To Its Production, Circulation, And Consumption. A Pathbreaking Examination Of The Interplay Between Gay Film And Photography, Gay Life, And The Larger Social And Political World, Hard To Imagine Is A Model For Social And Cultural Historians. Interweaving An Analysis Of These Images In Their Gay Cultural Context With The Broader Social And Legal Implications, Thomas Waugh Offers A Pioneering Chapter In Both Gay And Visual History.--book Jacket. Ch. 1. Beginnings. Reclaiming A Cultural Heritage. Nineteenth-century Roots: The Emergence Of Photography As The Privileged Medium For Gay Eroticism. Image Patterns That Keep Coming Up -- Ch. 2. Art And Arousal. Academic Photography. The Pictorialist Generation. The Glamour Generation. The Road To Stonewall -- Ch. 3. Strength And Stealth. The Physical Culture Movement Of The Fin-de-siecle. The German Frei Korper Kultur Movement. Pioneering North American Developments (1918-1945). The Kinsey Generation: The Golden Age Of Magazines And Mail Order (1945-1963). The Movies. Coda: Chronology Of Persecution, Censorship, And Resistance (1945-1969) -- Ch. 4. (oh Horror!) Those Filthy Photos: Illicit Photography And Film. Partouze Photography (1880-1930). Stag Movies. The Modern Era Of Illicit Photography. Gay-centered Cinema (1930-1969) -- Ch. 5. Law, Science, And Politics. The Lens Of The Law. Hirschfeld. Kinsey. Erotic Images And The Gay Movement. Endings. Thomas Waugh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. PREFACE CHAPTER ONE: BEGINNINGS Reclaiming a Cultural Heritage Nineteenth-Century Roots: The Emergence of Photography as the Privileged Medium for Gay Eroticism Image Patterns That Keep Coming Up CHAPTER TWO : ART AND AROUSAL Academic Photography The Pictorialist Generation The Glamour Generation The Road to Stonewall CHAPTER THREE: STRENGTH AND STEALTH The Physical Culture Movement of the Fin-de-Siecle The German Frei Korper Kultur Movement Pioneering North American Developments (1918-1945) The Kinsey Generation: The Golden Age of Magazines and Mail Order (1945-1963) The Movies Coda: Chronology of Persecution, Censorship, and Resistance (1945-1969) CHAPTER FOUR: "(OH HORROR!) THOSE FILTHY PHOTOS": ILLICIT PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM "Partouze" Photography (1880-1930) Stag Movies The Modem Era of Illicit Photography Cay-Centered Cinema (1930-1969) CHAPTER FIVE : LAW, SCIENCE, AND POLITICS The Lens of the Law Hirschfeld Kinsey Erotic Images and the Gay Movement Endings NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX