A Secret History of Cross-Dressers
A fascinating new exhibition reveals a history of cross-dressing stretching back to the 19th century, captured in amateur photographs found in flea markets, junk shops and on eBay.
A collection of found photographs of cross-dressing, currently on show at the Photographers’ Gallery in London in the exhibition Under Cover: A Secret History of Cross-Dressers, contains a wealth of stories, and many unexpected moments.
The images, which were collected by the filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz from garage sales and the like, rather than professional photography spaces, are largely of anonymous men and women, who have used photography to capture both personal and public moments when they have dressed up or used gestures that are traditionally assigned to the ‘opposite sex’.
