A series of powerful and moving black and white portraits of AIDS activists taken from 1989 through 1998 by photographer Bill Bytsura.

“I was moved by the dedication of AIDS activists. I was in awe of the brave men and women who fought proudly on the front lines in the fight against AIDS. I had to record the faces and words of these people. They became my heroes and inspiration. Inspiration not only to create this amazing collection of photographs but also to find within myself the courage to raise my own voice. I took on this project so that we never forget these brave people and to recognize the role activism plays in our lives every day.

This work is about the people I met and fought alongside. It’s a tribute to those that were lost to AIDS. I will never forget them”

-Bill Bytsura

Find out more about the project at the AIDS activist website here. Also follow the project onFacebook here.

“the AIDS activist project” is part of the Downtown New York Collection at Fales Library, which documents the arts and cultural scene from the 1970s-1990s.

Photographs by Bill Bytsura - Foreword by David France - Design by Scott Williams - ISBN 978-0-9989658-0-2 - 120 pages

Samples from the book are viewable in the slide show below.