NEW YORK, NY.- On October 30th Wright presents Casa Susanna: A Photographic Archive from the Collection of Robert Swope and Michel Hurst at auction. The Casa Susanna collection, featuring more than 300 photographs, provides a glimpse into a time and place, revealing a world once forgotten.

Casa Susanna, located in Hunter, New York, was a getaway for heterosexual transvestites in the mid-1950s and 1960s. Founded by Susanna, aka Tito Valenti, the resort embraced men who dressed like women, providing a safe haven for the exploration of gender roles in a time when it was not common to do so. The snapshots offered in this unprecedented sale, clearly taken by the participants themselves, are visually striking and intimate. From doing ordinary household tasks to vamping for the camera, the images are a candid presentation of men playing the roles of many different female stereotypes including the femme fatale, the matron and the proper lady. These refreshing and poignant shots invite the viewer into the realm of cross-dressing men at Casa Susanna.

“Michel and I have been caretakers for this collection for more than a decade. After shepherding the collection from a box in a flea market to a play on Broadway, we are ready to let go and allow Casa Susanna to find her next act.” — Robert Swope

The images offered in this sale were unearthed by the pioneering collectors Robert Swope and Michel Hurst of Full House. Found at a New York flea market, Swope and Hurst immediately recognized the value of this collection and its vernacular expression. In 2003, Swope and Hurst took these images to PowerHouse Books publishing 120 of the found photographs in the hard-bound book Casa Susanna which was included in the Photo-Eye list of 12 best photography books of 2005. After two sold-out printings in hardcover the book is currently being released in paperback in September 2014. As a result of their stewardship, the fascinating photographs and the story behind Casa Susanna has captured media attention with articles in Nest, The New York Times, Paris Match, Elle, Women's Wear Daily, Out Magazine, etc. For two years the book Casa Susanna was under option with HBO for a feature film and though never realized as a film this relationship subsequently evolved with the book Casa Susanna becoming the inspiration for the Tony-nominated Broadway play, Casa Valentina by Harvey Fierstein which opened in 2014.

Comprised of 340 photographs never before offered at auction, Casa Susanna: A Photographic Archive from the Collection of Robert Swope and Michel Hurst features seven lots ranging in price from $5000 – 10,000 to $30,000 – 40,000. All 120 images from the publication Casa Susanna are featured in the sale along with 220 photographs that have not been previously published.

All lots from this unparalleled auction will be sold at auction on October 30th, 2014 at 12 pm Central. All lots will be on view in Wright's New York Gallery located at 980 Madison Avenue Oct. 16th – 30th, Tuesday – Saturday 11 am – 5 pm. Details regarding the opening reception and a conversation with the collectors is forthcoming.