A treasure trove of flea market photos spotted in 2004 show how some found liberation in the Catskillls at a tough time
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new show at the Met demonstrates the enduring power of photography to affirm trans identities and build trans communities. Titled simply Casa Susanna, it reveals a treasure trove of photographs made by a community of self-identified “cross-dressers” in the 1960s, as they found ways to make precious time to dress as their feminine selves in two resorts offering safe spaces in the Catskill mountains.
According to show curator Mia Fineman, these photos had sat dormant for decades until two antique dealers happened to discover them at a flea market in 2004. “What struck them was that they were men dressed in women’s clothing but not in drag,” said Fineman. “They were not wearing flamboyant clothing, it was a very conservative, midcentury style.”
The photos were acquired by the Art Gallery of Ontario, a book of the photographs was released, and subsequently trans scholars began to situate Casa Susanna into queer history. The original flea market collection of photos was also augmented by collections from artist Cindy Sherman and Betsy Wollheim, a daughter of one of the members of the original Casa Susanna community, and AGO launched a formal exhibition of the photos in the winter of 2024.
