Since the mid-19th century, photography has served as a powerful tool for examining concepts of gender, sexuality, and self-expression. Join curator Paul Martineau to explore the medium’s profound role in shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community.
Curator's Tour: Queer Lens: A History of Photography
Tour
Gay Activists at First Gay Pride Parade, Christopher Street, New York (detail), 1970; printed 2021, Arthur Tress. Gelatin silver print. Getty Museum. Gift of David Knaus. © Arthur Tress Archive LLC
About
Times
Friday, Jun 27, 2025
2pm
Speaker Bios
Paul Martineau
Curator
Paul joined the Getty Museum's Department of Photographs in 2003. He is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts at Boston and the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for visual storytelling, he has curated or co-curated more than 20 exhibitions on a diverse range of topics. A specialist in 20th-century American photography, Paul is a prolific author, having written or co-written 11 books, including, most recently, Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith (2023), Imogen Cunningham: A Retrospective (2020), Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography (2018), Robert Mapplethorpe: The Photographs (2016), and The Thrill of the Chase: The Wagstaff Collection of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum (2016).
Know Before You Go
Capacity
20
First-come, first-served
Duration
45 minutes
How to join
Confirm which tours are running on the day of your visit at the Information Desk in the Museum Entrance Hall.
Join your tour a few minutes before its scheduled start time at the Information Desk, where our Visitor Services colleagues will direct you to the guide leading the tour. Groups are provided with Assistive Listening Devices (ALD), which amplify the guide's voice in busy galleries.
What to expect
Our guides lead interactive tours that are different each time. While they share their unique perspective and knowledge about the collections and exhibitions, we encourage you to make the tour your own by sharing observations and asking questions. We want to hear what you think!
This tour is predominantly indoors, with brief moments outside. There are a few specific stops for active engagement with individual artworks. Although benches are available in many galleries, seating may or may not be available depending on the route chosen by your guide.
Accessibility
Wheelchairs are available for free rental on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lower Tram Station above the parking structure and at the Coat Check Room in the Museum Entrance Hall.
For more information on how we can support your visit to the Getty Center, learn more about accessibility at Getty.
Need help?
Contact us! 9 am–5 pm, 7 days a week
(310) 440-7300