Sweet Escape: Photographs of Fire Island’s Cherry Grove Show Its History as a Gay Sanctuary

New York’s Fire Island, often referred to as America’s first gay and lesbian town, has been a summer destination for the LGBTQ+ community since at least the 1940s. Its protected beaches, picturesque boardwalks, and vibrant nightlife has made it an idyllic destination, and safe space, for queer New Yorkers wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Still today, an enormous rainbow flag continues to welcome visitors at the ferry docks, proudly proclaiming the area s identity as a gay sanctuary.

The island is currently home to 17 different small beach towns—including Ocean Beach, Fire Island Pines, and Cherry Grove—and the latter is one of the island’s most popular gay getaways. Now, Cherry Grove’s history is getting its very own exhibit. Titled Safe/Haven, a new showcase from Manhattan’s New York Historical Society explores gay life in Cherry Grove during the 1950s and beyond—doing so through a collection of 70 enlarged photographs, on view until October 11th.

According to the museum, many gay men and women traveled to Cherry Grove well before the Stonewall era. In the 1950s, many flocked to Cherry Grove to find “opportunities for sexual exploration and self-expression—behavior that was both stigmatized and criminalized in the straight world.” And while Cherry Grove has since gone on to be a popular summer destination for all New Yorkers, its popularity during the early days of the gay pride movement was clearly even more poignant and meaningful.

Young Man Posing for Polaroid, 1959Photo: Courtesy of New York Historical Society/Cherry Grove Archives Collection/Gift of Don Steeple

Photographs in the exhibit depict Cherry Grove visitors partaking in elaborate costume parties and wearing fabulous, retro ensembles on the beach. During the 50s, early guests to the island even included some high-profile names such as writer Truman Capote, poet W.H. Auden, or novelist Patricia Highsmith. Whether the town played host to stars or normal folk, however, the exhibit clearly proves a summer at Cherry Grove has always resulted in scrapbook-worthy moments, long before Instagram.

Safe/Haven is a free exhibit and takes place place outdoors in the New York Historical Society’s rear courtyard (at 170 Central Park West). A timed-entry ticket is still required to maintain social distancing, and can be secured here.