Fire Island Pines Historical Society

To kick off Pride Month at Rizzoli Bookstore, join us for a celebration of Fire Island Art: 100 Years — a landmark volume tracing nearly a century of queer creativity, community, and artistic life on Fire Island. John Dempsey, president of the Fire Island Pines Historical society and editor of the book, joins Michael Bullock, Brooklyn-based writer and editor, in conversation about the island’s enduring cultural impact and the artists who shaped its legacy, from David Hockney, Peter Hujar, and Robert Mapplethorpe to Lola Flash, Doron Langberg, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Salman Toor. 📅 06/02 (Tue) 6:00 PM 🎟️ Free and available to RSVP via Rizzoli Bookstore Eventbrite #FireIslandArt100Years #RizzoliBookstore #NYCEvents @johnfdempsey @pineshistory @phaidonpress @michaeljbullock /e/fire-island-art-100-years-tickets-1987020355372?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Felice Picano (1944-2025)
 A central voice of modern gay literature and a longtime presence on Fire Island, Picano helped document the Pines at its most vibrant—and most fleeting. At a time when, in his words, “nobody was writing about gay life,” he set out to change that: “I thought I had to get this down in print, or else it was going to vanish.” Author of 17 novels and eight memoirs, including Late in the Season and A House on the Ocean, A House on the Bay (back in print this month!), his work captured the intimacy and freedom of Fire Island in the post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS years. He also co-authored The Joy of Gay Sex. In 1977, he founded Seahorse Press, publishing writers like Harvey Fierstein when few others would and taking a chance on a young Clark Henley with The Butch Manual. Picano was a founding member of the Violet Quill, alongside Edmund White and Andrew Holleran—a group that met in New York and on Fire Island in the early 1980s to shape what gay literature could become. “We shared the hope that one day any lesbian or gay teenager could go into any bookstore or library and get a book about his or her own kind. Our dream has come true!” He once described Fire Island as a place where lives that felt impossible elsewhere could be lived fully—even if only for a season.
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Felice Picano by Don Herron, 1982 Felice in the Pines by Robert Giard, 1985
Late In the Season cover, art by George Stavrinos A House in the Ocean, A House on the Bay cover
The Butch Manual cover

Community is measured not only by how we celebrate in our best years, but also by how we care for one another in those that follow. Since 1978, @SAGEUSA  has led the way in supporting thousands of LGBTQ+ elders with housing, advocacy and social services in a world where they too often become invisible. Its connection to Fire Island Pines dates back to its founding, thanks largely to former Pines resident Dino Georgiou, who understood that SAGE and the Pines are different expressions of that same essential idea of community. Now almost 50 years later, the bonds between SAGE and the Pines are as important as ever. The freedom, joy, and sense of belonging we treasure here did not appear by accident; they were created by generations who believed community carries responsibility. SAGE’s Pines story is an important part of our heritage and our support is more than just an act of generosity — it is a way of honoring that inheritance and a tangible expression of our values. Please join us on June 6 at 4 PM at the Pines home of Dr. Ed Schulhafer and Crayton Robey to celebrate another year of partnership. If you are unable to join, please consider supporting their vital work by making a donation via the link in our bio.

Our next Pines Profile highlights a man whose words and actions have helped shape the spirit of the Fire Island Pines. Warm, incisive, and guided by a clear moral compass, Jim Pepper has spent a lifetime building institutions, funding movements, and helping lead the LGBTQ+ community through its most difficult moments. Even when it carried real personal risk, he showed up, bringing discipline, strategy, and leadership to organizations like Gay Men’s Health Crisis, ACT UP, Housing Works, and the Stonewall Community Foundation. Through it all, he actively avoided recognition so that others could be celebrated for their efforts. In a community known for big personalities, Jim stands apart for something else: quiet, unshakable integrity and impact. Guided by the belief that if you can help and the cause is right, you do, Jim has made a huge and indelible impact on the Pines and the broader LGBTQ+ community. Unsurprisingly, Jim Pepper is one of our most beloved community members. 🔗 link in bio to read more!

A proud moment for the Pines Historical Society – we have been named this year’s recipient of the SAGE Community Engagement Award! We are truly grateful and humbled to be recognized by one of the most important organizations in the LGBTQ+ community. For nearly 50 years, they have been a lifeline for our seniors, providing critical support when it matters most. Please join us in celebrating on June 6 at 4 PM at the Pines home of Dr. Ed Schulhafer and Crayton Robey — or consider supporting their vital work by making a donation via the link in our bio. Let’s show up for an organizations that embodies what being what a community truly means! @sageusa

In April, planning for the upcoming summer season shifts into high gear. This week we would like to share the Pines Profile of someone who has devoted his life to helping people do just that — and much more. For over five decades, Bob Howard has helped shape Fire Island Pines. Although often referred to as the “Dean of Real Estate,” his impact reaches far beyond property lines. In his time, Bob founded High Tea, led the Pines Conservation Society for two decades, and has more than four decades (and counting) of service with the Pines Fire Department — all while championing nearly every civic and charitable effort in the community. In moments of celebration and in times of crisis, Bob has been a constant, galvanizing presence. He didn’t just build a business, he helped build the Pines itself, earning his place as one of its most respected and beloved leaders. Bob’s life is a testament to reinvention, resilience, and an unwavering devotion to a community that became not only his home, but his life’s work and enduring legacy. 🔗 link in bio to read more

A documentary film about a forgotten pioneer: the legendary Antoine, the “Emperor of Hairstylists,” is currently in the works. Filming is nearly complete, and we need your support to bring it to the finish line. If you’d like to help make this film a reality, please consider making a donation via the @uniondocs link in bio. For supporters in the USA, donations are tax-deductible. Born in Poland, Monsieur Antoine, whose real name was Antoni Cierplikowski, was a visionary hairdresser who radically transformed the image of women in the early 20th century. In the 1920s, by inventing the garçonne cut—also known as the bob—he helped redefine femininity and actively contributed to women’s emancipation, challenging a rigid, gender-binary society in which roles were strictly defined, always to the advantage of men. Hairdresser to the greatest icons of his time—Sarah Bernhardt, Josephine Baker, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and many others—Antoine was one of the fathers of modern hairdressing, an industry now worth billions. And yet, his name has almost disappeared from our collective memory. Photo 1 – Antoine posing as Louis XIV, the “Sun King” Photo 2 – Antoine portrayed in a painting by Kees van Dongen Photo 3 – Antoine in a photograph by Man Ray Photo 7 – Antoine in a photograph by Brassaï

Last night over 200 people attended the hugely successful book launch for “Fire Island Art” on the roof of the Nine Orchard Hotel. Editor @johnfdempsey moderated a panel with three of the book’s contributing writers @philipgefter @ksenia.m.soboleva and @michaeljbullock In attendance were the artists, writers, and donors who helped bring the book to life along with many familiar faces from the Fire Island community. Beautiful weather, great setting, and a fantastic turnout. The book officially launches tomorrow, April 1! 📸 @austinyourface

Fire Island has a long history of celebrity hairdressers, but none more famous than Antoine de Paris. Polish born Antoni Cierplikowski became the world’s first celebrity hairdresser when he opened the salon Antoine de Paris and became a global sensation during the Roaring Twenties. He is most known as the creator of the iconic ‘bob’ haircut — a hallmark of female liberation — leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of fashion and beauty. He shaped the image of legendary divas like Josephine Baker, Gloria Swanson, Louise Brooks, and Coco Chanel. Few know his role in establishing the queer community of Cherry Grove. Following the devastating hurricane of 1938 (and a scandal related to lewd activities in his outhouse in Ocean Beach), Antoine helped lead a group of courageous pioneers to the ruins of Cherry Grove to found a sanctuary of freedom — long before the world had ever heard of Stonewall. There are now TWO movies being made about Monsieur Antoine, one a documentary by @avlavalayad and one a feature-length film by @bartek.rainski and a book by @martaorzeszyna who has been collaborating on both films. **Photo credits:** Elsa Schiaperelli wearing a wig by Antoine, photos by Man Ray, 1933 Photo of Antoine on Fire Island. Collection of Marta Orzeszyna and Adam Krupiński @adamfryzjer @antoine_the_film

Our next Pines Profile shines a spotlight on one of our younger, yet longstanding community members who has entertained us in the Pines, New York City, and beyond — Seth Sikes (@sethsikes ) Mentored by Stephen Sondheim, encouraged by Andrew Tobias, and championed by friends and the chosen family he formed in the Pines, Seth’s journey from small town Texas to the bright lights of New York cabaret, is one of talent, perseverance, and a little bit of Pines magic.  A regular in the Pines for twenty years, many will recognize Seth from his performances at our Pines Invasion. Some will also remember how he turned the Pines into his set — creating hilarious, heartfelt parody videos that went viral during the COVID pandemic. It was a much-needed boost in those dark days, and proof that even in isolation, our community’s spirit couldn’t be silenced. At a time when we needed connection most, he gave us laughter, music, and helped keep our eye on a better tomorrow. But you don’t have to wait until July 4th to see Seth perform. You can see him live on March 12th at 54 Below in New York City. It’s a chance to see one of our own at one of the city’s most renowned locations. 🔗link in bio to read more

People often wonder what winters are like on Fire Island. This year, Liam Davy of Gay Gardens, and his husband, painter and land steward TM Davy, decided to find out for themselves—staying on the island year-round after most homes had closed for the season. These photos capture the remarkable winter landscape that few get to experience. @liam_davy @tmdavy @gaygardensfireisland

As we close out Black History Month, we are proud to spotlight Doug Harris in our latest Pines Profile—a Pines resident for more than 50 years who has devoted his life to something both rare and invaluable: building worlds where people can thrive. From helping shape the regulatory architecture of the global capital markets, to elevating LGBTQ+ elders through SAGE, to guiding the Pines toward becoming a more open and welcoming community, Doug’s legacy is defined by brilliance, perseverance, principled risk-taking, and an extraordinary gift for connection. At every pivotal moment, Doug chose what was right over what was easy. And as he climbed, he reached back, lifting others, widening the circle, and strengthening the community he loves. His story reminds us that lasting change is built not only through impactful speeches, but through listening, bridge-building, and expanding common ground. 🔗 link in bio to read more