VillageLIVE: Nelson Sullivan

He’s going to show you around the city!

Nelson was a video artist in 1980s New York, and many people consider him the first vlogger. His videos capture an amazing time in the city, when important figures of queer history were making a name for themselves.

Check out the

Augmented Reality App & the 360 Experience!

The App
360 Experience

The App
360 Experience

In NYC? Check out the App

Are you in New York? Let’s go for a walk! Download the app and visit a few of Nelson’s favorite places. When you get there, use your phone’s camera to peer into the past.

Download for Android Here

Are you in New York? Let’s go for a walk! Download the app and visit a few of Nelson’s favorite places. When you get there, use your phone’s camera to peer into the past.

Download for Android Here

Are you far from NYC?

No worries! You can still get a taste of what it’s like to walk through history with Nelson. Check out these 360 videos we made for you. But don’t forget to download the app and come visit New York whenever you can.

MEMORIES AT STONEWALL: June 23rd, 1989

Nelson remembers his accidental visit during the Stonewall Riots twenty years earlier.

During a protest march commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Nelson runs into his friend David Noh outside the Stonewall Inn. They’re awaiting a troupe of drag queens commemorating Judy Garland, whose death occurred on the night of the riots. The queens arrive later that night with a police escort, a strong sign of progress over the 20 year preceding years – though there was still much work to be done for queer rights.

MEMORIES AT STONEWALL: June 23rd, 1989

Nelson remembers his accidental visit during the Stonewall Riots twenty years earlier.

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Through this walking tour, you’ll experience the past as you explore the physical present.

Why Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality (AR) allows us to layer Nelson’s archival footage right on top of the actual places his videos were made - all viewed through your smartphone’s camera. That means that you can walk through history while you wander through the city. You’ll never look at these streets the same way again after you’ve seen them through Nelson’s eyes.

Why VillageLIVE?

This project aims to celebrate queer community in the ways that it shapes and is shaped by public space in New York City. Using Nelson Sullivan’s video archive, past narratives come back to life in the streets where prominent figures of the city’s queer history once flourished. The rainbow of experiences that make up queer life in New York is endlessly broad and beautiful, but here we begin with the story of one man.

Why the Village?

Greenwich Village (also known as The Village) is thought of as the birthplace of the modern mdBTQI movement and continues to be an important cultural center for the mdBTQI community. The Stonewall Riots took place on June 28th, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, New York’s most popular gay bar at the time. The riots, which began as a spontaneous reaction to injustice, are widely considered one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement and the fight for equality for mdBTQI Americans.

Why Augmented Reality?

VillageLIVE is brought to you by HISTORYLive. Using Augmented reality (AR) we can place any digital media right in the real world, allowing us to layer Nelson’s archival footage right on top of the actual places his videos were made - all viewed through your smartphone’s camera. That means that you can walk through history while you wander through the city. You’ll never look at these streets the same way again after you’ve seen them through Nelson’s eyes.

Why VillageLIVE?

Why the Village?

Greenwich Village (also known as The Village) is thought of as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQI movement and continues to be an important cultural center for the LGBTQI community. The Stonewall Riots took place on June 28th, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, New York’s most popular gay bar at the time. The riots, which began as a spontaneous reaction to injustice, are widely considered one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement and the fight for equality for LGBTQI Americans.

Hey there!

VillageLIVE is brought to you by the HISTORYLive Team.
We make augmented reality walking tours!

Shir David

Motion and Print designer. Originally from Tel-Aviv ,Israel. Currently lives in Brooklyn, NYC.

Jordan Frand

A Brooklyn-based multilingual aesthete and polymath, who aspires to use technology to create experiences that bring people together and encourage fun and present-being.

Anne K Goodfriend

Designer, Technologist, and Educator who is skilled at rapid ideation and prototyping.

Wanna chat? villageLIVEnyc@gmail.com

He’s going to show you around the city!

Check out the

Augmented Reality App & the 360 Experience!

The App

360 Experience

The App

360 Experience

In NYC? Check out the App

Are you far from NYC?

MEMORIES AT STONEWALL: June 23rd, 1989

MEMORIES AT STONEWALL: June 23rd, 1989

Through this walking tour, you’ll experience the past as you explore the physical present.

Why Augmented Reality?

Why VillageLIVE?

Why the Village?

Why Augmented Reality?

Why VillageLIVE?

Why the Village?

Hey there!

Shir David

Jordan Frand

Anne K Goodfriend