Queer History Series
The aim of this series is to highlight previous LGBTQ+ people from history and create photoshoots inspired by their legacies. Queer people have existed since the dawn of time and I wanted to pay homage to those individuals who may have never been recognised or shed a light on. It’s so important these stories are told to enable people to understand that the LGBTQ+ community has always existed, but it is only now they feel confident enough to express their true identity. (This series is an ongoing work in progress.)
Marlene Dietrich
The German-born Actress and Hollywood star of the 1930s. She was openly bisexual and known to have had multiple relationships with men and women, and is widely considered to have paved the way for generations of unapologetically queer Hollywood stars.
One of her most memorable roles was in ‘Morocco’ (1930) – Dietrich wore a tuxedo and top hat and kissed a woman on screen, which caused controversy at the time. In her personal life, she had often enjoyed crossdressing, gay balls, boxing, and other nonconformities during her time in 1920s Berlin.
Marie Hoeg & Bolette Berg
Marie Høeg & Bolette Berg were photographers in the late 19th century and ran their own studio ‘Berg & Høeg’ in Norway. Marie was a known suffragist and often led discussion groups for women in their community to talk about politics.
After Marie and Bolette died, a box of their photographs labelled ‘private’ was discovered. The photos depicted the pair and their friends dressing in masculine clothing, experimenting with gender stereotypes, smoking, drinking and playing cards.
These photos might have been controversial for the time period, but centuries on, they hold great value in showing people that queer people have existed since the dawn of time
Willi Ninja
In the late 80s early 90s, American Dancer and Choreographer Willi Ninja became an icon of the New York ballroom scene. The documentary ‘Paris is Burning’ furthered Willis career, enabling him to teach voguing around the world and work with top supermodels on how to walk the runway.
Ninja was known as The Godfather of Vogue and had his own ‘house’ which was a chosen family for queer POC in Harlem that had a reputation for perfecting and furthering the dance style.
Willi died of AIDS aged 45, but his legacy and influence lives on in the music and fashion we consume today.
