Mark Seliger - On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories

2016, English, Mark Seliger,

Full title: "On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories" by Mark Seliger.

On Christopher Street, at the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, a multitude of identities collide, shimmer, and breathe life into the idea of being oneself. The street has long stood as a symbol of freedom, resistance, and reinvention. It is here that the modern LGBTQ rights movement took its first defiant breaths, in the wake of the Stonewall uprising, and where the annual pride parade now ends as a triumphant reminder of how far we have come. At the corner of Christopher and Hudson Streets, renamed “Sylvia Rivera Way” in honor of the pioneering trans activist, the echoes of courage and community still linger. Within this rich, historic setting, photographer Mark Seliger found his muse and purpose. His book, On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories, captures not only the faces of a community but also the beating heart of an ever-changing neighborhood that continues to inspire and challenge the world’s understanding of gender, identity, and belonging.

 

Seliger, best known for his iconic portraits of musicians, actors, and cultural figures, had lived in the West Village for nearly two decades when he began to notice something extraordinary happening on his own doorstep. The theater of Christopher Street, with its mix of flamboyant characters, late-night dreamers, and fearless self-expression, began to vanish under the pressures of gentrification. The people who once gave the street its vibrant pulse were fading from view. Determined to preserve their stories, Seliger began taking portraits of transgender individuals he met along Christopher Street. With his Hasselblad camera, he worked in black and white, creating images that felt timeless and deeply intimate. What began as a handful of photographs evolved into a collection of seventy-four portraits that together form a powerful visual archive of identity and resilience.

 

Each photograph in On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories is paired with the subject’s personal account, weaving together visual art and storytelling. These narratives, filled with pain, pride, humor, and hope, remind the viewer of the human need for sanctuary, the desire to be seen and understood. The people Seliger photographed inhabit a world that still tests their right to exist, yet they radiate strength and individuality. They redefine what it means to belong, to find home not only in a place but within oneself. The portraits encourage reflection, urging us to confront our assumptions about gender and to recognize the diversity that shapes our shared humanity.

 

Seliger has called Christopher Street an “Ellis Island for freedom of expression and gender identity.” For generations, it has offered a mirror for those who rarely saw reflections of themselves elsewhere. The New Yorker described the book as a tribute to the place “where many trans and queer people first shared space with others like them,” while Vanity Fair called it a collection of stories about “a community that has long found acceptance and solace in the West Village.” Through these photographs, Seliger celebrates both the defiance and grace of people living authentically, whether in sequins or denim, in the shadows or in the spotlight.

 

The project also stands as a quiet protest against erasure. As gentrification continues to transform the West Village, the world that once made Christopher Street legendary risks being forgotten. Seliger’s portraits act as witnesses to a vanishing era, preserving the beauty and individuality of people who have long existed on society’s margins. He approached his subjects with empathy, often meeting them by chance and inviting them to share their stories. The resulting images are not just photographs but collaborations between artist and subject, built on trust and mutual respect. The faces that fill the pages of On Christopher Street embody both fragility and strength, a testament to the courage required to live one’s truth in a world that often demands conformity. 

 

Critics have praised the book for its emotional depth and artistic clarity. Edge Media Network described it as a “blend of portraiture and commemoration,” while Out Magazine highlighted its collection of “moving and deeply personal stories.” Publishers Weekly noted how Seliger’s photographs reveal “a variety of personalities and styles within the local trans community,” offering a vibrant mosaic of contemporary gender expression. What unites these voices is their unapologetic presence, a shared understanding that visibility itself is an act of resistance.

 

Mark Seliger’s career has always revolved around capturing authenticity. Born in Amarillo, Texas, he became chief photographer for Rolling Stone for more than a decade, where he created some of the most recognizable portraits in modern pop culture. His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Time, and many other publications, earning him numerous awards including the Alfred Eisenstaedt and Lucie Awards. Yet On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories stands apart from his celebrity photography. It is personal, grounded, and profoundly human. It is a love letter to the people and the place that have shaped him as an artist and neighbor.

 

Accompanied by a foreword from Janet Mock, the celebrated author and advocate for transgender rights, the book situates Seliger’s work within the broader context of the ongoing struggle for recognition and equality. Mock’s words echo through the pages like a benediction, framing each portrait not merely as art but as affirmation. Together, Mock and Seliger invite readers to bear witness to lives that refuse to be invisible.

 

On Christopher Street: Transgender Stories is more than a photography book; it is a document of a moment, a movement, and a memory. It captures the enduring spirit of Christopher Street, a place that continues to welcome those who seek freedom, love, and the courage to be seen. The photographs remind us that these streets belong to all of us, that our differences enrich rather than divide, and that every portrait is, in its essence, a declaration of existence. Through Seliger’s lens, we see not strangers, but reflections of ourselves, each image whispering the same quiet truth: we are here, and we matter.

Available via amazon.com

gardnermuseum.org

All the photos by Mark Seliger.