Lot 77

JEB (Joan E. Biren), Leonard Matlovich, Washington DC. 1987.

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JEB (Joan E. Biren), Leonard Matlovich, Washington DC. 1987.

Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000

Starting Bid: $1,500

(0 Bids)

by Swann Auction Galleries
August 13, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
Live Auction
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY, US 10010

JEB (Joan E. Biren)
1944-
Leonard Matlovich, Washington DC. 1987.
Silver print
With JEB's signature, title, and date in ink on verso.

  • Dimensions: The image 7 x 8 in. (17.8 x 20.3 cm.), the sheet 8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm.)
  • Exhibited:
    Queer Lens: A History of Photography, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, June 17, 2025 - September 28, 2025
  • Medium: Silver print
  • Notes:
    This photograph shows Leonard Matlovich being arrested in front of the White House protesting against the Reagan Administration's silence and inaction on AIDS.

    Sgt. Matlovich, winner of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, was expelled from the Air Force when he challenged the U.S. military's ban on homosexuals by coming out (cover of Time magazine, 1975). He spent his last years as an AIDS activist and educator. Matlovich died of AIDS in 1988. His headstone reads: "A gay Vietnam Veteran--the military gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
  • Condition: Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000