A postcard from Nino

Nino mio,

Merci mille fois pour ta carte du 20 septembre. Amicizia, Freundschaft, Friendship, Philia, Amitié... Je connais suffisamment Wilhelm pour savoir lire entre les lignes, entre les mots, entre les visages. Quel art élégant d'évoquer l'amitié qui est la nôtre, la Freundschaft que célèbre un beau magazine allemand... Cette amitié entre hommes, quel moyen plus subtil de l'évoquer sans la nommer qu'en célébrant l'amitié entre deux femmes, dont l'une me semble-t-il, est un berger de Taormina travesti... Je crois l'avoir rencontré sans perruque ni robe, mais avec le même regard et la même beauté...

Ah, mon Nino, comme il est bien que des cartes postales fassent connaître l'art de notre Wilhelm, aux yeux innocents comme aux yeux avertis...

J'aime ta signature, Nino. C'est comme si tes deux bras m'entouraient, m'embrassaient...

Comment oublier, mon Nino... Comment t'oublier ?

Jacques

(Von Gloeden Archive, Letter from Jacques to Nino, 1919, call number: 1919/10/06)

Nino mio,

Thousand thanks for your postcard sent on September 20. Amicizia, Freundschaft, Friendship, Philia, Amitié... I am familiar enough with Wilhelm to be able to read between the lines, between the words, between the faces. He has such an elegant way to celebrate the kind of friendship that unites us, this Freundschaft that is the title and the main topic of a German magazine... Friendship between men... Is there a more subtle way to evoke it without naming it than through such a celebration of friendship between two women...  One of them, however, looks like a disguised shepherd from Taormina... I am pretty sure I met him without his dress and his wig.... I recognize his gaze and his beauty...

Ah, my dear Nino, it is so nice such postcards advertise the photographic art of our Whilhelm, for innocent eyes as well as for aware ones...

I love the drawing of your signature, Nino. I feel like hugged and embraced by your two arms...

How could I ever forget, my Nino... How could I forget you ?

Jacques

(Von Gloeden Archive, Letter from Jacques to Nino, 1919, call number: 1919/10/06)