Now this is a genuinely interesting little mystery:

This collection of photos was first printed circa 1957 at a neighborhood drugstore in North Philadelphia.

The photographs capture special moments during a same-sex commitment ceremony, including the exchange of rings in front of witnesses, an officiant leading the ceremony, the first kiss, dancing, opening of gifts, cutting of the cake and more.

The owner of the drugstore deemed these particular wedding photos to be inappropriate and refused to return the photos to the grooms.

60 years later, the photos were found. The originals are now kept safely between the One National Gay & Lesbian Archives in Los Angeles and the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives in Philadelphia.

ouronestory.com

Again, bear in mind this ceremony took place in 1957 - the apogee of the Eisenhower era and coming off the earlier Red Scare and McCarthyism.

I’d reckon this couple would’ve been in their late 20s or early 30s in 1957, so if they’re still alive, they’d be quite elderly by now. Nonetheless, these two gents were damn near 60 years ahead of the curve.

The ceremony may have taken place in Philadelphia - and I wonder if the participants in the ceremony were members of one of the early gay-rights groups (The Society for Human Rights or The Mattachine Society); such groups certainly existed back then, but it was all pretty underground and they were occasionally infiltrated by the FBI or other law enforcement of the time. If you look closely at the photos in the link, you’ll notice the blinds are down and the curtains drawn…..they certainly didn’t want any untoward attention.

Fascinating mystery.