Key Facts:
- *LOVING: Photographs of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s* is an exhibition of vintage images depicting male couples, drawn from an archive of over 4,000 photographs collected by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell over 25 years from flea markets, antique stores and online auctions.
- The exhibition is presented by the Delegation of the European Union to Australia and HOTA, Home of the Arts, and is being shown in Queensland following its sucssful runs in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne following its debut at the Musée Rath in Geneva in 2023.
- The photographs, spanning Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, capture intimate everyday moments between men at a time when same-sex relationships were often illegal or unspoken.
- EU Ambassador Gabriele Visentin described the collection as a reflection of universal and timeless humanity, emphasising the shared values of human rights held by the European Union and Australia.
- The exhibition coincides with a significant milestone, as 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Australian High Court ruling that fully decriminalised homosexuality across the country.
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.
Quotes from H.E. Ambassador Gabriele Visentin and David Don, HOTA Gallery General Manager:
“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,” said 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,” said David Don.
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.
About us:
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.
