1928-31: A group of likely gay men having a beach day. Emmanuel Cooper Archive, Bishopsgate Institute.
This photo, taken between 1928 and 1931, is from a series of photos of a group of men having day out on the beach somewhere in the UK. It was collected by potter, art historian and LGBTQ+ activist Emmanuel Cooper when he was writing his book ‘Photographing the Male Nude’. Unfortunately, there is no further information on who the men were or where the photos were taken.
- Looking at the description of this photo, why might we assume that this is a photograph of gay or queer men? What are the limitations of this assumption?
- This photograph was taken close to the same time as the police observations on Shim Sham Club (Source 7a). How do they compare in terms of the story they tell about LGBTQ+ communities?
- What might this source and Source 7a tell you about LGBTQ+ lives in 1930s Britain?
- Which members of the LGBTQ+ community are not present in either of these sources? Why do you think some members of the community might be more present in archival materials?
- What other sources might you look for to get a clearer picture?