Gertrude Tate 1899 at Twilight Rest in the Catskills; From an albun Alice Austen Made for gertrude from their first meeting.

Images 21 & 22: Alice Austen and Gertrude Tate met in 1899 at this Catskills resort where Gertrude was recuperating from typhoid fever. Here, Gertrude boldly reveals herself to Alice and Alice’s camera. By exposing her shorn skull, Gertrude demonstrated her vulnerability and trust. The intimacy between Alice and Gertrude grew into a loving lesbian relationship that lasted for 50 years. As a remembrance of their first summer, Alice made Gertrude a keepsake book that included these two photographs.

Text by: JEB (Joan. E Biren) is a documentary film and photographic artist who chronicles the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, bringing them a new visibility.