Mariette Pathy Allen photographs and papers, 1968-2022

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Summary

Creator:
Allen, Mariette Pathy and Archive of Documentary Arts (Duke University)
Abstract:
Mariette Pathy Allen is a documentary photographer based in New York City. Collection contains six portfolios of photographer Mariette Pathy Allen's work dating from the 1960s to 2016, totaling 209 color and black-and-white prints, a papers series dating from 1981-2022, and a collection of 103 work prints in black and white spanning circa 1980s-2005. The photographs document aspects of human sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression in the United States particularly the LGTBQ+ community with a focus on transgender and gender-nonconforming people, their families, related activism and protest, and gender transition; spirituality, rituals, and gender identity in Burma and Thailand; the connections between people and art; and the social life of people in the suburbs and beaches of Philadelphia and New Jersey. Two CD-Rs of digital images are also included in the papers series, along with printed materials such as exhibit and gallery publicity, book proofs, and articles. Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University.
Extent:
11.5 Linear Feet (17 boxes; 1 oversize folder)
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00028

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains six portfolios of Mariette Pathy Allen's work, dating from the 1960s to 2016, totaling 209 color and black-and-white large-format photographs. There are also a papers series dating from 1981 to 2022 and a work print series dating circa 1980s-2005.

The photographs document aspects of human sexuality and gender identity in the United States including depictions of the LGTBQ+ community with a focus on transgender and gender-nonconforming people, their families, friends, and partners, related activism and protest, and gender transition; the connections between people and art; spirituality, ritual, and gender identity in Burma and Thailand; and the social life of people in the suburbs and on the beaches of Philadelphia and New Jersey. Many of these works have been published in photobook format.

The first portfolio, Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them, contains eleven 15 1/2 x 23 inch color prints that document the everyday lives of crossdressers in the United States.

The second portfolio, The Woman Who Lives Inside: Portraits of Men as Women, houses 16 gelatin silver and 15 color portraits of transgender women in the United States.

The third project contains Allen's earliest work and is titled NJ/PA 1968. The 28 16x20 inch gelatin silver photographs feature people at beaches and in the suburbs of New Jersey and Philadelphia.

A fourth portfolio consists of 30 black-and-white, 16x20 inch gelatin silver photographs titled People and Art, taken between 1968 and 2000. Images show artists at work, people looking at art, scenes from the 1999 Venice Biennale Festival, and settings in Paris, London, and Budapest.

The fifth portfolio consists of 31 color and black-and-white prints from Allen's 2004 book, The Gender Frontier, documenting transgender and transsexual people with their partners, participating in conferences and political rallies, and undergoing corrective surgeries.

The sixth portfolio is titled Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand. The 28 color inkjet prints feature portraits of mediums, chiefly men with gender-variant identities, who perform a 21st century version of ancient spiritual service historically practiced by women.

The Papers series comprises of print materials dating up to 2022 in the form of exhibit and gallery publicity, photobook proofs, a book dummy of "The Woman Within," and articles about Mariette Pathy Allen's career and work. Two CD-Roms of Allen's photographs in digital form are also included in this series.

The Work Prints series contains 103 black and white work prints spanning from 1980s-2005. The photographs draw mainly from The Gender Frontier but include images from other portfolios and document transgender people in their everyday lives, activist efforts including protests, demonstrations, political rallies, lobbying and counter protests from religious groups, and some city and scenic shots.

Biographical / historical:

Mariette Pathy Allen (1940- ) is a documentary photographer, painter, lecturer, and activist based in New York City.

While in New Orleans in 1978, Allen met and befriended Vicky West, a trans woman who invited Allen to Fantasia Fair (now called TransWeek), an ongoing transgender conference, and where she was invited to serve as its official photographer. Following this meeting, Allen continued to document, photograph, and advocate for transgender and gender diverse people by attending other transgender conferences, working on the Transgender Tapestry magazine, and participating in political activism.

In addition, Allen published several books; her first book Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them was noted as one of the first depictions of the trans community in everyday lives as as relatable people, showcasing partners, friends, and families. Her follow-up book, The Gender Frontier expanded upon the themes in Transformations to include young gender diverse people, political activism, and portraits of individuals undergoing significant changes in life. Later on, Allen would publish TransCuba and Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand bringing visibility to the trans and gender diverse communities in other countries, as well as other work in film, presentations, and advocacy. Mariette Pathy Allen's works have been included in multiple exhibitions and permanent collections internationally.

Sources: Mariette Pathy Allen website, https://www.mariettepathyallen.com/, accessed March 14, 2025; "Interview with Mariette Pathy Allen", https://theheroines.blogspot.com/2023/03/interview-with-mariette-pathy-allen.html, accessed March 17, 2025.

Acquisition information:
The Mariette Pathy Allen photographs and papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase and gift from Mariette Pathy Allen, 2006-2010, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Processing information:

Processed and described by Karen Glynn and John Mayrose, May 2007.

Addition 2010-0039 processed and described by Meghan Lyon, March 2010.

Updated by Megan Lewis, 2015.

Addition 2021-0121 processed and described by Leah Tams, November 2021.

Addition 2023-0009 processed and described by Lou Bennett and Paula Jeannet, May 2023.

Addition 2024-0161 processed and described by Tere Elizalde, March 2025.

Accessions represented in this collection guide: 2006-0028, 2006-0133, 2007-0068, 2008-0121, 2010-0039, 2021-0121, 2023-0009, and 2024-0161.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series: Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them, The Woman Who Lives Inside: Portraits of Men as Women, NJ/PA 1968, People and Art, The Gender Frontier, Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand, Papers, and Work Prints.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Access note. Collection contains some electronic records that may need to be reformatted. Access copies of electronic records require special equipment. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Mariette Pathy Allen photographs and papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1w30c