Hidden love of Havelock men documented in early 20th-century photographs

The photos are striking.

From well-preserved original Kodak prints to the floor-to-ceiling enlargement that's now the knockout centrepiece of a new exhibit at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery — a series of portraits of Leonard Olive Keith and Joseph Austin (Cub) Coates convey a tender connection. 

"I'd never pictured queer history existing in New Brunswick, so to see it in front of me was really shocking," said Dusty Green, who first saw the photos in 2015 while working as an intern at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in Fredericton.   

"This was more than just a boyhood camaraderie," said provincial archivist Meredith Batt. "They clearly cared for each other … and making these records was sort of like an act of defiance."

Batt and Green say the photos are not only rare but probably the earliest photographic records of a same-sex couple in the Maritimes, showing their affection to each other but not to their community, which would have punished them for it. 

Now, a century later, this love is on display and about as public as possible. In addition to the exhibition that will run until the end of July, Batt and Green are launching their book this weekend. 

Len and Cub, A Queer History, published by Goose Lane Editions, will be celebrated Saturday at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery with guest speakers Brenda Murphy, New Brunswick's lieutenant-governor, and John Leroux, the Fredericton gallery's manager of collections and exhibitions.

"This is a message that transcends time," Green said. "Every queer person knows what it's like to hide in plain sight in your community or not be allowed to express who you are or express your love for another person."

In 1892, Canada enacted gross indecency laws that made any acts of attraction between men, including kissing and touching, a criminal offence. The law was extended to women in 1953. In 1988, the gross indecency offence was repealed.

The Len and Cub photos show two men expressing their intimate connection at a time when the law made that dangerous to do. They appear cradled around each other, sometimes holding hands, or one resting his head gently upon the other. 

The two men were neighbours in Havelock, known then as Butternut Ridge, a small but thriving community about 50 kilometres west of Moncton. 

According to the book, Len was an amateur photographer and car enthusiast who eventually owned a local garage and pool hall. Cub, who was younger, was the son of a farmer. He eventually became a butcher, a contractor and a lover of horses. Both men were war veterans.

Their many private moments during the early 20th century were well documented by Len's camera.

Green and Batt believe "the boys" took precautions to hide the true nature of their affections, partly by spending time outdoors fishing and hunting.