Doris Fish and Freda Lay, 18th and Castro. Photographer unknown. Miss X Collection.
Doris Fish and Freda Lay at the corner of 18th and Castro sometime between 1979-1983.
I think this is an extraordinary photograph. The vanguard of early San Francisco Drag in the Castro in its heyday. Its unconventional with the shadows from the telephone poles breaking it up and adding weird depth in the afternoon light. I love the older, presumably straight lady making her way across the street as she takes in what must have been an outrageous, but not unusual sight for the neighborhood at the time.
Freda is ethereal and beautiful as ever. I’ve never seen a bad photograph of Freda. I keep forgetting that Freda was assigned male at birth. She’s so perfectly feminine and has this great edge to her.
Doris, of course, is enjoying herself immensely.
We don’t know who shot the photo. It is in Miss X’s collection, rescued from Doris’ collection in 1991.
