[.ca] Affectionate Men: A Photographic History of a Century of ... (ISBN 0312242859)

another mean-spirited attempt to eliminate gay people:
A selection of photographs of men in affectionate poses from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since nothing is known of most of these men, we can know them only through their photographs, but the authors are quick to reject the possibility that they might have been involved in more intimate relationships. Evidently you can tell just by looking! If some, or most, or all of the men expressed their love in a physical way, why would that be such a problem? The point of the gay-bashing authors is that "normal" (that is, hetero) men were free to display affection in those days, and isn't it terrible that they can't today without being mistaken for perverts?

Well-designed book makes you wish for more:
While this book is well-designed and many of the photographs are lovely and thought-provoking (Are these men friends, brothers, lovers?), you leave it realizing that this is basically one person's collection of old photographs of men together. I bet there are many, many more--and better examples out there that would have made this book memorable.

Unusual and touching:
This slim volume of old daguerrotypes, tintypes, and photographs of men together provides a touching reminder of a time when males felt no inhibitions about expressing physical affection for one another and having it documented on film. The men who populate these pages may or may not have been sexual lovers, but their casual embraces and closeness are curiously moving in a time when gay men and women are struggling for acceptance against frequently virulent opposition. The only drawbacks to this volume are its short length and occasionally cutesy artwork, but these should not dissuade any reader from enjoying these images.

I love this book !:
Got this book as a gift two weeks ago & a day hasn't gone by that I haven't found myself wanting to spend time perusing it.. If you're a gay man, here is your history in beautiful, touching photographs. Some of them are truly amazing.

Beautiful pics, leaves you wanting more:
This is what I would call a nice little novelty book--perfectly charming, fascinating historically, but not one I will likely pull out to look at time and time again. The pictures are indeed fascinating (especially the candid nudes!). However--and in fairness, the author stresses this in the foreword--I would guess that a significant number of these "couples" are not romantically linked in any way. I suspect that they most often simply represent a time when men in our culture (or in European cultures, since many of them are from overseas) thought nothing of touching one another affectionately in public. It actually documents very well that the "manly" refusal of men to hold hands or even to stand with arms around one another, is of more recent vintage, and thus it holds out the hope that maybe the pendulum will swing back. I recommend the book, though. It makes a nice addition to my collection--and the design, by the way, is superb....