Exhibition Review: "Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove" at the New York Historical Society
Patricia Fitzgerald and Kay Guinness, Cherry Grove Beach, September 1952. Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift of Gay Nathan and Julie Paradise
Though most of the images are not by the hands of professional photographers, they bring invaluable insights into an often-overlooked chapter in American cultural history.
Situated on Fire Island and separated from parts of Long Island by the Great South Bay, Cherry Grove is a historic resort town known for its accepting attitude during a time when homophobia had been otherwise widespread across the United States.
Men on the Beach, ca. 1950. Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift of Paul Jablonski
In the pre-Stonewall era, members of the LGBTQ community constantly battled with a society that denied them the opportunity to openly express their gender identities and sexual orientations. The hostile social climate was exemplified through policies encouraging the investigation and persecution of federal employees based on homosexual behaviour, leading to what is popularly known as ‘Lavender Scare’ culture.
Against such a sociocultural backdrop, Cherry Grove emerged as a haven for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and other gender non-conforming individuals who frequented the place to gain a breath of liberty. A number of them even decided to settle in the community, including Audrey Hartmann who has been interviewed for the exhibition.
Outside of Bea Greer’s Home, Bea’s Brunch, 1951. Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift of Harold Seeley
“It was an escape for everyone to be able to come out here on the weekend and be yourself,” describes Hartman in a recording included as part of the exhibit.
The relaxed and joyous atmosphere is easily experienced through the photographs, many of which depict loving friends and couples in a moment of fearless self-revelation unimaginable almost anywhere else in mid-century America. Dressed in extravagant and, in several cases, then socially unacceptable attire, the subjects seem nonetheless to be comfortable and at home. In a rare black-and-white image capturing a melancholic moment, a senior citizen in a summer dress sits alone against the side of a balcony. Though less cheerful in mood, there is still a sense of intimacy and opening to a personal world largely censored and suppressed at the time.
One Hundred Club Party, 1949. Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift of Harold Seeley
The LGBTQ population at Cherry Grove is also distinguished for its creative power. Starting out with a group of theatre members, the community soon came under the spell of costume-themed house parties (see Parasol Party and Diaper Party II) and theatrical productions. The Arts Project of Cherry Grove, founded in 1948, is one of the first creative platforms for LGBTQ people. While Cherry Grove was initially a white middle upper-class destination, it became more inclusive after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In pictures from later years, queer people of color and those from a working-class background gradually began to gain presence.
DJ Beast and Candy Stevens, Ice Palace, ca. 1980. Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift of Valerie Perez and Evelyn Danko
Photographs and ephemera featured in the exhibition come from the Cherry Grove Archives Collections dedicated to the preservation of the community’s unique LGBTQ history. It can be enjoyed free-of-charge in an outdoor courtyard space through to October 11. Booking for timed-entry is required to maintain social distancing measures.
A detailed account of the Cherry Grove community can be found in the award-winning book Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty Years in America’s First Gay and Lesbian Town by Esther Newtown.
