Queer Creativity

The National Trust cares for an extraordinary diversity of cultural heritage created by people who questioned and challenged conventional notions of gender and sexuality. This book brings together a range of these remarkable individuals in a visually sumptuous appreciation of queer creativity, celebrating the cultural contributions of those whose lives did not align with the prevailing expectations of their time.

For centuries, queer individuals of every stripe have found ways to translate their perspectives on the world into creative expression. Their stories can be found in the things they have left behind, from paintings, sculpture and fashion to houses, libraries and gardens. Sometimes the stories are expressed with powerful directness, at others they lie hidden beneath the surface, or deliberately in code.

The collections of the National Trust form a treasury of these stories, preserved alongside the physical spaces where queer artists lived and worked, and where their ideas and creations were shaped, shared, displayed and discussed. In exploring the shifting political, legal and social landscapes that formed the backdrop to these individuals’ lives, the authors illuminate the wider historical context.

Presented in six broadly chronological sections, ranging from Georgian Britain to contemporary creative works, the book concludes with a handy gazetteer of key National Trust places with queer connections.