In 1990, American photographer Remsen Wolff began making a series of portraits of transgender people in New York and Amsterdam for his project Special Girls - A Celebration. These unique portraits range from the exuberant and glamorous to the subdued and vulnerable. Together, the photographs show the huge variety in gender fluidity in the 1990s, beyond the spotlight of notorious nightclubs such as Club RoXY and iT.

Wolff encountered people from the transgender community in nightclubs, on the street, through friends and with a call in Gay Krant. The individuals posing for Wolff’s camera vary from celebrated figures such as Jet Brandsteder (a.k.a. Francine), Hellun Zelluf and Vera Springveer (regular performers in clubs like RoXY and Mazzo), to anonymous transgender people who experimented and sometimes struggled with their gender identity in daily life. A session often lasted 6 to 8 hours and the models were photographed as they preferred to be portrayed.

Remsen Wolff – Amsterdam Girls is on view at Foam in Amsterdam.