Jump to content
AdonisMale

Bittersweet


Batman
  • Like 2
  • Love 1
  • Fabulous 2

From the album:

Thanks for the memories…Vintage

· 2,020 images
  • 2,020 images
  • 39 comments
  • 598 image comments

Photo Information


Recommended Comments

jakester

Posted

This Image is featured in that well-meaning but misleading book, 'Loving'. Their sign does not mean that they want to marry each other but that they're looking for wives. That said, it's a sweet picture of two (college?) friends.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Knutsel63

Posted

On 7/7/2021 at 9:32 PM, jakester said:

This Image is featured in that well-meaning but misleading book, 'Loving'. Their sign does not mean that they want to marry each other but that they're looking for wives. That said, it's a sweet picture of two (college?) friends.

I just love the book you are talking about: of course most of the pictures in it were not taken with an exclusively gay intent. But the ambiguity of the images and the fluidity of the love and friendship – and maybe even more – just speaks to you from the pages. Man-to-man love isn't (and never has been) as bipolar or exclusive as straight or gay. There is a lot in between, and that is what this picture celebrates: why so reductive? you don't know how they felt about each other, and that they saw the ambiguity in their sign, and loved it.

 

https://www.fivecontinentseditions.com/en/p/loving/

  • Like 2
Link to comment
jakester

Posted

3 hours ago, Knutsel63 said:

I just love the book you are talking about: of course most of the pictures in it were not taken with an exclusively gay intent. But the ambiguity of the images and the fluidity of the love and friendship – and maybe even more – just speaks to you from the pages. Man-to-man love isn't (and never has been) as bipolar or exclusive as straight or gay. There is a lot in between, and that is what this picture celebrates: why so reductive? you don't know how they felt about each other, and that they saw the ambiguity in their sign, and loved it.

 

https://www.fivecontinentseditions.com/en/p/loving/

I couldn't agree more. However, that's not how this particular picture is represented in that book whose subtitle is Men in Love, which means a specific thing. To quote from the hyperbolic introduction; Beyond their message of love, they seem to be calling out, saying, 'We mattered to one another and we wanted to memorialize out love through a photograph. Even if only for ourselves'. Given the clearly jokey intent of this particular studio photograph - nothing secret or hidden about that process -  unless they have actual proof it seems preposterous, and disingenuous, to suggest that it records anything other than a close friendship, or perhaps what is more likely, kinship. If you like the book, that's great, I won't quarrel with you if it touched you. I found it to be naive and self-fulfilling. Some of the pictures certainly do support the claim of 'men in love' and they are often touching, making a contemporary viewer want to reach back in time to offer encouragement. But, to my eye at least, what the pictures more often record aren't records of 'men in love' but friendships or kinships often expressed in a frankly physical manner often in public, where secret love was kept hidden. I know that because I lived through part of it, and also because I've been involved for some years in a trying to reconstruct some of those lives, and recover how we lived then. These are some pictures from the internet: loving? in love? Best wishes.

IMG_0631.png

tumblr_o7ritlT4eu1v6m5vmo1_540.jpg

tumblr_ow4ldff4Du1vwq0fao1_540.jpg

tumblr_pecfw7gH3n1wycayxo1_500.jpg

tumblr_okoaev2Oux1sssafso1_1280.jpg

tumblr_n7sk4dTE3T1rpiaado1_1280.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
vic4

Posted (edited)

Thanks for the very informative/civil discussion of this book/issue--and for the wonderful additional photos. 

Edited by vic4
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Members

    • ColtMann
    • Yochigay
    • Allthebest
    • riebwoy
    • tonyis
    • JDLion78
    • dondou123
    • SevenNSFW
    • Fardasch
    • RHawk
    • Starr
    • vallam2222
    • mrtaylor12
    • markhes
    • rel
    • TR718993
    • teddy0012
    • gz62256
    • wadnm
    • ziemek
    • Odysse2020
    • suzienudie
    • Sasunka
    • MrPa
    • m33
    • Larry280
    • poltergeist
    • SMJD
    • Cluck487
    • xul234
    • AlessandroRiveraPIG
    • tygersslave
    • Sobroguy
    • elbrocko
    • AK29
    • RedSoxCub
    • SteffenMSP
    • PornoSteve
    • SmokinStuds
    • sbear
    • zedespada
    • Dane
    • leatherdox
    • Scott
    • Opie53
    • DustinKubrick
    • ajLAbod
    • sircil
    • as1005
    • buck.bravery0p
    • Jim33317
    • burnie63
    • moremales
    • akld
    • EagleScout
    • Matty_Fresh1
    • Aesop
    • MonsieurJake
    • haberchh9
    • BoyDarius1
    • xclko
    • MrBadGuy
    • J.J.Ray
    • Dreamqwerty
    • tt22
    • Tallyogi
    • Chuckles
    • Mouse
    • Idk123456789
    • 152
    • keke8712
    • nobody4002
    • Bobsworld
    • chris123
    • Frosted15
    • Kawika
    • Trashnefilo
    • nickg
    • Benedict25
    • Daniel44
    • Klann
    • garyro
    • PopForYou
    • mikey
    • Ronnie51
    • saintbob
    • cute-naked-guys
    • PervyStudsandMore
    • weston56
    • r2ma
    • EvieJones
    • Micael
    • mim
    • Chepcc
    • artyourtime
    • moet49
    • keithhere55
    • CajunCowboy
    • Kbm321
    • ScorpioNYC
    • SnugglyJeffy666
    • Retsch
    • tonisolermis
    • 017674678235
    • roccobolo
    • SexyManFever
    • dudekc
    • ReconUnicorn
    • Josselin
    • ventguy
    • zurcalednauj
    • rltw0302
    • TheOneWhoGotAway
    • XfoolX
    • butchbeardub
    • hb4317
    • phantom309
    • Hollander
    • Daily
    • cerulean80
    • rentboy66
    • Pie5565
    • codycole
    • PaulLy
    • Arlequin
    • racco3an
    • Tom_Johnson
    • filip
    • loiopors
    • dyalanskn
    • H2346
    • DeanGreen
    • nigelh60
    • olivebranch
    • PSlion
    • Vanue
    • bebopper
    • Decency
    • Double_ST
    • xyly08
    • allthewayfromhere
    • changjar
    • larry
    • dancinthom
    • Paddy
    • Inarpr
    • joancrisol
    • findonmelbourne
    • GayBottomYUM
    • xop3533
    • JamesNYC58
    • Vincent-Perry
    • vickiep
    • FairWarningMen
    • Trekkers
    • TobyCamp
    • carixl
    • moriley
    • samster
    • Jaxmax76
    • KentaroDaigo
    • Fabritius
    • miksta88
    • Stikeout
    • DavidWhiteFan1
    • jscar
    • redheaguy51
    • BobJWilson3
    • JohnBoy64
    • wvpatriot6
    • lowie
    • Caleb2020
    • Jo83
    • phallicpuppy
    • wonewang
    • marox
    • a1062072785
    • gregstein
    • cordier
    • dwv306
    • umang
    • Thefourthloner
    • contadino1988
    • threspador
    • VertexMan
    • jeg60142
    • OscarM
    • MuscleCT
    • lachelein
    • bfhpic
    • hardywender
    • Nackedei
    • PierJul
    • ShaneAlex
    • bearman501
    • robbee28
    • Flo8691
    • zxc312
    • sherriff
    • dreamorph
×
×
  • Create New...

Adult Warning

Hey there, this site has a lot of muscle and dicks, so make sure you're 18+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We also want to feed you some Cookies, so open wide for daddy.