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Faculty Sponsor
Dr. David Bennett
Faculty Sponsor College
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Sponsor Department
History
Location
SOARS Virtual Conference
Presentation Website
https://unfsoars.domains.unf.edu/2021/posters/crafting-an-image-love-confidence-and-representation-in-leonard-finks-photographs-of-the-gay-liberation-movement/
Keywords
SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Archives; SOARS (Conference) (2021 : University of North Florida) – Posters; University of North Florida -- Students -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Office of Undergraduate Research; University of North Florida. Graduate School; College students – Research -- Florida – Jacksonville – Posters; University of North Florida – Undergraduates -- Research – Posters; University of North Florida. Department of History – Research – Posters; Honorable Mention Award Winner
Abstract
Honorable Mention Winner
Leonard Fink (1930-1993) was an American photographer who documented the modern Gay Liberation Movement and inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day marches that evolved into the Pride Marches we now know of today. This research addresses how Fink used photography as both a form of personal expression and participation in the growing LGBTQ community as well as to document these critical moments in modern queer US history. Prior scholars and research have looked at the Christopher Street Liberation Day marches and the role it had on the LGBTQ movement following the Stonewall Riots, however, little has been done on the individuals who worked behind the scenes in helping solidify and physically capture these game-changing moments of queer history taking place. I will use the figure Leonard Fink and his photographs to fill in these missing gaps to show the major and influential role photography played within the late twentieth-century queer movement. This work is historically significant because it centers around an individual who had a major role in the modern LGBTQ US movement and showcases the ways he used photography to both document and express himself as well as the broader community around him.
Rights Statement
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Crafting an Image: Love, Confidence, and Representation in Leonard Fink’s Photographs of the Gay Liberation Movement
SOARS Virtual Conference
Honorable Mention Winner
Leonard Fink (1930-1993) was an American photographer who documented the modern Gay Liberation Movement and inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day marches that evolved into the Pride Marches we now know of today. This research addresses how Fink used photography as both a form of personal expression and participation in the growing LGBTQ community as well as to document these critical moments in modern queer US history. Prior scholars and research have looked at the Christopher Street Liberation Day marches and the role it had on the LGBTQ movement following the Stonewall Riots, however, little has been done on the individuals who worked behind the scenes in helping solidify and physically capture these game-changing moments of queer history taking place. I will use the figure Leonard Fink and his photographs to fill in these missing gaps to show the major and influential role photography played within the late twentieth-century queer movement. This work is historically significant because it centers around an individual who had a major role in the modern LGBTQ US movement and showcases the ways he used photography to both document and express himself as well as the broader community around him.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/soars/2021/spring_2021/29
Comments
Audio Presentation Transcript:
Hello, I’m Alex Del Dago, an undergraduate Art History & History student here at UNF, and today I’ll be presenting my poster and research work titled “Crafting an Image: Love, Confidence, and Representation in Leonard Fink’s Photographs of the Gay Liberation Movement.” Pictured to the right of the title, we see a photograph by Leonard Fink that captures the first Christopher Street Liberation Day march that took place in New York City in 1970. Let’s begin with the abstract: Leonard Fink (1930-1993) was an American photographer who documented the modern Gay Liberation Movement and inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day marches that evolved into the Pride Marches we now know of today. This research addresses how Fink used photography as both a form of personal expression and participation in the growing LGBTQ community as well as to document these critical moments in modern queer US history. Prior scholars and research have looked at the Christopher Street Liberation Day marches and the role it had on the LGBTQ movement following the Stonewall Riots, however, little has been done on the individuals who worked behind the scenes in helping solidify and physically capture these game-changing moments of queer history taking place. I will use the figure Leonard Fink and his photographs to fill in these missing gaps to show the major and influential role photography played within the late twentieth-century queer movement. This work is historically significant because it centers around an individual who had a major role in the modern LGBTQ US movement and showcases the ways he used photography to both document and express himself as well as the broader community around him. Below the abstract, we see three more photographs taken by Fink, two of himself including his favorite hobby, riding his motorcycle around the city, and one of a group of men locked arm in arm in a unified front at one of the Christopher Street Marches. Next, we’ll look at the introduction and research questions: Amidst the crowds of thousands gathered for the inaugural Christopher Street Liberation Day March in June of 1970 was Leonard Fink, camera in hand, walking through the streets of New York City, capturing all the action that was going on. This momentous day for the LGBTQ community was filled with celebration, excitement, and transparency as queer individuals paraded through the city, openly being their truest selves. Although it took a lot of paperwork and politicking, the event went on as a success, with both participants and bystanders enjoying the beginning of the modern Gay Liberation Movement. Like many at the time, Leonard Fink was still “in the closet”, with the exception being his presence and participation in the queer NYC community, and as a result, wasn’t as politically active or present in the face of the movement as others. Rather, Fink used his camera and the medium of photography to both capture the changing social landscape around him as well as a form of personal expression. Through an analytical look at the life of Leonard Fink and his photographs, this work seeks to answer who this figure really was, why did he photograph what he did, and what broader significance does he and his work serve in our understanding of queer history and progress in the United States. Based on this information and research, my findings and conclusion include that Leonard Fink and his work reveal a lot of interesting relationships, connections, and details about this moment of queer history in New York, including the concept of queer individuals having two different identities depending on where and who they are around (one being for work and family, another for friends and social life), this idea of performing for the camera as a form of personal expression, bystanders and observers being participants in the marches themselves, and the theme of unity and community dominating this period of the LGBTQ community finding a new voice and demanding change. Despite these photographs by Fink never coming before the general public eye until after his death, they reveal a treasure trove of information and insight into the life of a unique individual and the modern queer community. In the bottom right section of my poster, you can find my bibliography and sources consulted for this research project. Thank you for listening to my research presentation!