Mascara, Mirth and Mayhem: Independence Day on Fire Island is a collection of Susan Kravitz’s Invasion of the Pines photographs taken over the past four decades in the LGBTQIA+ community of Cherry Grove, Fire Island, NY. These photographs chronicle the joyfulness and exuberance that are evident each July 4^th when cross-dressing participants celebrate this legendary Invasion ritual, one that originally began in 1976 when a member of the Cherry Grove community was asked to leave a Pines’ restaurant because he was dressed in drag.

 

Photographing the Invasion of the Pines is like falling through a rabbit hole and finding yourself in a world that is unlike any you ever have seen. It is a wondrous experience, full of joy and passion, captured beautifully over the years in Kravitz’s black & white and color photographs. While celebrating the uniqueness of the Cherry Grove community, these images also highlight the importance of human rights and freedom of expression for the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide.

 

Kravitz’s photography book has received numerous favorable critical reviews.