A Hidden History: Southend’s Twilight Worlds

‘The Twilight Men of Southend’, is the headline of an article in the Evening Echo published in the 1970s. Written by Louis Blake, the columnist noted that there are around three to four thousand homosexual men living in fear in the city of Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Blake’s interest in the queer history of his town spearheaded him to start an investigation. He interviewed local queers and gleaned insights from their experiences living on the margins of society.

The exhibition ‘Southend’s Twilight Worlds’ takes its title from Blake’s article. In many respects, the exhibition highlights the forgotten queer voices of Southend — in a time where queer voices are scarcely heard. While it is clear that there is visibility nowadays, particularly in the evanescent nature of social media. Yet, how do we transpose marginal voices of the past into the real world, and are there ways to draw analogies to the present? Southend’s Twilight Worlds investigates this and thus showcases works of artists who have tapped into the hidden world of queer cultures.

Romano-British Venus figurine, AD 43-410, pipe clay, 163mm, Southend Museums. Photography by Tessa Hallmann. Image courtesy of Southend Museums. 

The exhibition and its respective book launch this weekend at the TOMA Project Space in Southend-On-Sea. It runs from the 16th of July until the 8th of October.