Michael Guy & Padric Meagher collection

Michael Guy and Padric Meagher lived in Providence, Rhode Island before retiring and moving to Truro, Massachusetts. Guy worked at Trinity Rep Theater for 46 years as a scenic artist and graphic designer and Meagher was a real estate agent. They collected historic photographs of Rhode Island for their personal collection.

Guy and Meagher purchased the photograph album and portraits of an unidenfied man from an antiques dealer in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The dealer noted that they came from the family of a man who, while married to a woman, also had homosexual relationships. The album documents time with friends and family, including a set of photographs of a "womanless wedding" held in a private backyard. These performances were common in the early 20th century and were most often held in public spaces as fundraisers. A womanless wedding was a comic skit of a traditional heterosexual wedding ceremony with all of the roles of the wedding party performed by men dressed in drag. The skits often made fun of gender stereotrypes and cultural norms. These photographs are unusual as they document a private event without an audience.