Calling the Shots (Victoria and Albert Museum): A Queer History of Photography

An accessible, inspirational and engaging introductory survey of LGBTIQ+ photography, as told through the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Drawing on one of the oldest and largest photography collections in the world, this book offers an unprecedented view of photographic history through a queer lens. It includes a broad range of global LGBTIQ+ representation from the mid-19th century to now, presenting images from pioneering LGBTIQ+ photographers and subjects alongside work documenting activism and hard-won legal battles, over a century of performance and nightlife and diverse queer communities, collectives and subcultures.

Following an introductory essay by Zorian Clayton, images are presented in six thematic chapters: Icons, Staged, Body, Liberty, Making a Scene and Beyond the Frame. Each chapter opens with a short introductory essay, followed by an extended plate section. Expanded captions highlight key images, and ‘artist in focus’ inserts draw on the work of selected photographers to illuminate particularly rich moments in LGBTIQ+ history. Bold proclamations of queer identity and community sit alongside personal explorations of self; documentation of struggle, joy and everyday life is considered side-by-side with performances and photographic fictions that continue to challenge the bounds of gender and sexuality. This vital, accessible volume offers an exciting, expansive appraisal of photography's role in expressing, documenting and celebrating queer life. It will be essential for all with an interest in the history of photography, but especially those with an interest in LGBTIQ+ history.