As a younger generation, it's easy to believe they are living in hell. But if you look at these photos, you will see that the people in them seem happy. They are joyful.Cherry Grove Archives Collection, The Hot House 1958.Queer men were marginalized in society at the beginning of the 20th century and some formed a small community on Long Island's coast. Cherry Grove was one such community. It is the subject of an exhibit at the New-York Historical Society called Safe/Haven - Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove. One man decided to make it his mission, in order to preserve artifacts of this community as the Cherry Grove Archives Collection was formed. The collection began as a collection of photos in 1940s. It has grown to be a treasure trove of queer history, including house signs, playbills and films that document the Grove's daily life and extraordinary events. Harold Seeley collected every piece of material that he believed would be worth something from the community," Parker Sargent, a documentary filmmaker who made many films about Cherry Grove and assisted in curating the exhibition, said. He was more of an avid collector than he did with them. He chose a group to continue his work after he passed away. Since then, we have been trying to digitize and catalog all his material. BuzzFeed News interviewed Sargent by phone about the importance of this collection. This interview has been edited for clarity and condensed.Cherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift from Harold Seeley Dr. Elmer Lindsays Party at His Boat Deck House with Ken Ackerman and Earl McDonald and a Friend, August 1952.How was it to first look at these photos? We were overwhelmed by joy when we began scanning images from 1950s. It was like looking in the faces of people that I knew today. Transgender woman, I felt as though I wasn't present in Cherry Grove. But gay men and women were there carving out the space I now enjoy. Everyone was suppressed before Stonewall. This was the McCarthy era, the Lavender Scare and when women couldn't dance together with men. Queer people were also not allowed to gather together. As a younger generation, it's easy to assume they were living in hell. But if you look at these photos, you will see that the people in them seem happy. They are happy. We are looking at predominantly white men because, let's face it, the sad truth is that white men always get the best. Although they may not have been wealthy, they were able to rent basic cabins on Cherry Grove. Long-term residents were mostly straight Long Island families who used Cherry Grove for fishing and the beautiful beach. Locals called them the theater people because gay men and women worked in New York City as directors, costumers, dancers and actors. These theater people would soon create a strong community that allowed people to be openly homosexual. They could also cross-dress and break with gender norms. These photos are rare and beautiful. It was considered dangerous for queer people to record themselves in the 1950s. You could be arrested for simply having photos taken that reflect homosexuality. There is a lot of history that has been lost, and these photos add so much to our understanding of gay life. It's truly amazing.Cherry Grove Archives Collection Patricia Fitzgerald, Kay Guinness at Cherry Grove Beach 1952.What is it that makes Cherry Grove so special? There are 300 homes here. Most of the 15 communities on Fire Island are also straight. There are many families. Cherry Grove has a transient community, which is made up of people who come to Cherry Grove for the day to relax and enjoy the bars and the beach. Many people rent houses for a week or a whole month. These people still consider themselves Grovers. It is a beautiful beach. People are friendly and have been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. In the 1950s there was no running water or electricity. But gay men and women were content to rough it as they could be themselves. You could be arrested if you were gay and lived in the city. These bars were run by Mafia and could be raided at any moment by police. Cherry Grove was a safe haven for gay men. The police would take the last ferry to the mainland at night, which allowed them to dance and express affection in local bars and restaurants. This was a safe place for many, and it would continue to grow over the next decades. The Invasion of the Pines, a long-standing tradition on Long Island celebrating the 4th of July, has its roots in activism. Teri Warren, a transgender woman, was denied service at a Pines restaurant because she was wearing drag in 1976. Thom Hansen, known to the community simply as Panzi, led a group of friends who stormed the Pines dressed in drag and demanded service. This was to support Warren. Every year thousands gather to celebrate Independence Day in their best gay costumes. There are hundreds of drag queens returning from the Pines to continue the tradition. Cherry Grove is the only place where this could happen. We, along with the rest of the globe, want to make Cherry Grove a safer place for those who still require a safe haven.Cherry Grove Archives Collection Hot House Weekend Guest, 1958.What does Cherry Grove and other predominantly lesbian spaces signify today in a more progressive and open country? Many people think you don't need a queer area anymore. But I believe that trans people and people of color still require this space. Cherry Grove is essential. My wife and me came to the Grove to find a safe space to wear bikinis at the beach as transgender women. I must say that it is the most comfortable I've ever felt in any place. This safe space is not only vital for rich white men, but it's also essential for many queer people. How big is the archive? We don't really know the size of the archive. However, we are digitizing material and our community is constantly donating photos and other artifacts from their lives in Cherry Grove. They trust us to preserve their history. Harold Seeley found many of the items we have in the trash. Cherry Grove community members would die, and their straight families would go through their houses and sell them. People were afraid of AIDS. They didn't want the disease. Many of these family members tossed out evidence that their gay uncles and cousins were there. Seeley set out to save these treasures. It is very expensive to digitize things. Our work is funded by the generosity of our communities so we spend a lot time fundraising. Although it is time-consuming and challenging, we feel very fortunate to have this adventure in our future.Cherry Grove Archives Collection outside Bea Greer’s Home, 1951.How did the New-York Historical Society exhibit come about? We saw the photos from Seeley's collection and realized that they were adding to our understanding of gay life. Most photos of gay life begin at Stonewall, and go on from there. We realized that there was an additional element, photos that people hadn't seen before. Brian Clark, Susan Kravitz, and myself are all close friends and volunteers who spend so much time together. We were so excited to embark on this journey with Rebecca Glassen and the New-York Historical Society. They helped us make our exhibit even more special. We are grateful that the NYHS recognized the importance of gay history. Not everyone does. Most of the Stonewall Museum patrons are lesbian. It will be available at the NYHS for people of all sexes and nationalities. Through understanding the triumphs and struggles of our queer community, we hope everyone can see parts of themselves and their own lives.Cherry Grove Archives Collection Young Man Posing For Polaroid, 1959.Cherry Grove Archives One Hundred Club PartyCherry Grove Archives Collection Parasol PartyCherry Grove Archives Collection, Men on the Beach, circa 1950Cherry Grove Archives Collection Ed Burke, Ethel Merman's Mermaid CostumeCherry Grove Archives Collection, Gift from Paul Jablonski Three Men with a Dog, 1955.Cherry Grove Archives Collection Pat Fitzgerald and Kay Guinness, Mary Ronin, Bea Greer, circa 1950Cherry Grove Archives Collection End-of-Season APCG Ball, Woman With HeaddressCherry Grove Archives Collection DJ Beast & Candy Stevens, circa 1980sCherry Grove Archives Collection, gift from Harold Seeley Judges, One Hundred Club Party Costume Contest, 1949.
