Fire Island is a barrier island off the coast of Long Island, New York. It takes about 3 hours to get there from Manhattan by public transport (subway, train, bus & ferry) and is one of the nicest spots close to the city to go for a real beach experience. The architecture on the island is amazing, long stretched not too overcrowded beaches, nice ‘fresh’ water, pretty much a great get away. It is also known for its gay community and it definitely could be considered a gay island. Back in the 60ies when homosexuality wasn’t still that accepted many men resorted to the island to experience a life or at least a holiday, free of societies bigotry. It was a playground for sex, freedom, drugs and partying. Tom Bianchi back then a lawyer got a SX-70 Polaroid camera as a gift from a client and started shooting the islands community from 1975 to 1983. The Polaroid’s depict primarily somewhat erotic scenes and the gay associated clichés of that time; mustaches, Arnold Schwarzenegger type of physiques, Cowboy denims, bubbly butts in tight swimwear and a lot of nudity. Fire Island was a gay paradise. They were living the moment while unaware of the impending AIDS era that was about to change everything. Most of these men are not alive due to the then life-threatening epidemic. It makes the imagery somewhat sad to look at – a care free world that was on the brink of hitting a catastrophe that would wipe out many men who were just enjoying life. This is one of the reasons why photographer Tom Bianci left the images for a long time in his shoebox, as many friends and loved ones are depicted in these Polaroid’s. After three decades the Polaroid’s are now finally brought together in book called Tom Bianchi’s Fire Island Pines; Polaroid’s 1975-1983 and is published by Damiani.

Check out selection of Polaroid’s below (NSFW)