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gallery
June 27, 2017

This Photographer Chronicled the LGBT Rights Movement in 1970s San Francisco

By Danielle Cohen

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Photo: © Daniel Nicoletta

Last weekend, people painted buildings, streets, and T-shirts in rainbow hues for Pride parades in cities across the U.S. In San Francisco, this year marked the 40th anniversary of Harvey Milk’s becoming the first openly gay person elected to public office in California. The vibrant shades that coated avenues across the city can be traced back to Milk’s brief time as the city supervisor, when he commissioned the flag from fellow activist Gilbert Baker for the ninth annual San Francisco Pride parade in 1978 — it was, at the time, called the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade.

About a mile and a half from where the San Francisco Pride Parade ended last Sunday, you’ll find Castro Camera, the photo shop turned campaign headquarters where Milk rallied the people who helped bring him to office. One such individual was photographer Daniel Nicoletta, who moved to San Francisco at age 20 and got a job at Castro Camera, snapping images that would become iconic photos in the history of LGBT activism — one photograph of Milk became a Forever stamp. Nicoletta’s proximity to Milk’s life brought him back to the campaign 30 years after Milk was assassinated, when renowned director Gus Van Sant turned to Nicoletta to help him tell the story of the politician’s life on the set of the Academy Award–winning film Milk. Nicoletta was a consultant and set photographer for the film.

Since his stint at Castro Camera, Nicoletta has captured a whirlwind of images throughout 40 years of the LGBT-rights movement, from the campaign that brought Milk into office to the film that told his story. LGBT San Francisco: The Daniel Nicoletta Photographs, out today from Reel Art Press, represents the first published collection of Nicoletta’s work. The book frequently juxtaposes images of 1970s events with on-set shots from the 2008 film, showing actors reenacting the same scenes in Milk. There are panoramic shots of pride marches on Castro Street, drag performances RuPaul could only dream of, and some NSFW costumes. Click ahead to preview the book.

LGBT: San Francisco: The Daniel Nicoletta Photographs
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1 / 15 Photos
Harvey Milk for Supervisor campaign volunteers form a human billboard to greet morning commuters. Harry Britt, Carol Carolson, Harvey Milk et al., 197... Harvey Milk for Supervisor campaign volunteers form a human billboard to greet morning commuters. Harry Britt, Carol Carolson, Harvey Milk et al., 1976. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade, administrative assistant Anne Kronenberg and recently elected supervisor Harvey Milk. June 26, 1978. Photo: © 2016 d... San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade, administrative assistant Anne Kronenberg and recently elected supervisor Harvey Milk. June 26, 1978. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Ron and Sany Severini from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown school prepare Harvey (one of six SF celebrities chosen) for an editorial in C... Ron and Sany Severini from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown school prepare Harvey (one of six SF celebrities chosen) for an editorial in California Living Magazine about the circus. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Harvey Milk in front of his Castro Street camera store, circa 1977. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Castro street on Harvey’s birthday, the day after the White Night riots, May 22, 1979. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3... Castro street on Harvey’s birthday, the day after the White Night riots, May 22, 1979. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Castro Street Fair, August 1976. Photo: © 2007 by Daniel Nicoletta all rights reserved 415.6655930 dannic@covad.net
Castro Street Fair, moveable art piece by Violet Ray, August 15, 1982. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@chart... Castro Street Fair, moveable art piece by Violet Ray, August 15, 1982. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Castro Street Fair, Leon Lott, December Wright, and Larry Williams, August 1976. Photo: © 2007 by Daniel Nicoletta all rights reserved 415.6655930 da... Castro Street Fair, Leon Lott, December Wright, and Larry Williams, August 1976. Photo: © 2007 by Daniel Nicoletta all rights reserved 415.6655930 dannic@covad.net
Castro Street Fair, Peppe Olvadez (far left), August 1977. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Castro Street Fair, Harmodius and Hoti, August 1975. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Robert Morgan as David Hockney, June 27, 1982. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Club Chaos and Klubstitute float in the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@cha... Club Chaos and Klubstitute float in the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
San Francisco LGBT Pride, June 24, 1990. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
Scout, Castro Street, June 20, 2015. Photo: © 2016 dannynicoletta.com all rights reserved 415-310-3072 dannic@charter.net
LGBT: San Francisco: The Daniel Nicoletta Photographs, published by Reel Art Press.
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