Stanley/Barker has released "The Ramble, NYC 1969," a groundbreaking photography collection by Arthur Tress that documents a hidden chapter of New York City's queer history. The publication marks the first time this remarkable photographic archive has been made available to the public, offering an intimate glimpse into a world that existed more than half a century ago.
Beginning in 1959, photographer Arthur Tress started bringing his camera on walks through the Ramble, a densely overgrown section of Central Park that had evolved into New York's most well-known outdoor gathering place for gay men. Originally designed as a scenic woodland area during the nineteenth century, the location had grown wild by the late 1960s, transforming into a secluded, nearly forgotten space where chance encounters occurred in the heart of Manhattan.
For just over a year, Tress made repeated visits to the area, meticulously documenting what he called the "everyday choreography of cruising." His work is now recognized as the earliest known photographic documentation of outdoor cruising in a natural environment. The images capture the movement and flow of men through the Ramble, with some subjects photographed from a distance while others appear in gently staged poses and small scenes.
Tress approached his photography as more than simple documentation, viewing his images as a form of "queer still life" that blended elements of allegory and dream. "The act of cruising had much in common with photography – a lot of waiting around for the moment, like one of those white egrets standing in a pond waiting to get the fish," Tress explained, drawing parallels between his artistic practice and the social dynamics he observed.
After remaining hidden from public view for decades, "The Ramble" is now considered an essential piece of New York's LGBTQ+ history, functioning as both ethnographic study and artistic fantasy. The work has gained renewed relevance as it stands alongside contemporary queer landscape photography projects that share its subtle examination of how bodies, desire, and hidden spaces influence one another.
The book represents the first comprehensive publication of this significant historical archive, presenting an early portrait of a concealed community, an untamed corner of the city, and an artist's journey of self-discovery among the trees. The hardcover edition features 112 pages with silk-screened details and measures 31x31 centimeters, complete with a dust jacket, and is available through Stanley/Barker's website.
