In the fifties, the Swedish photographer Christer Strömholm moved to Place Blanche, Paris, and began documenting the lives of his friends—the transsexual prostitutes of the neighborhood’s red-light district. From street walks at night to everyday life in hotel rooms, Strömholm followed their struggles and their triumphs. “These are images of people whose lives I shared and whom I think I understood. These are images of women—biologically born as men—that we call ‘transsexuals,’ ” Strömholm wrote in his book of the series, published in 1983. His photographs, he wrote, “are about insecurity. A portrayal of those living a different life in the big city of Paris, of people who endured the roughness of the streets.” Click-through for a selection of images from “Les Amies de Place Blanche.” The series is on exhibit at I.C.P. through September 2nd: http://nyr.kr/McXwJH
