"Born A Century Too Soon"

15 Nov 2010 03:47 pm
Andrew Sullivan

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/11/born-a-century-too-soon.html

A reader writes:

    Your recent posting of a gay vintage photo blog made me want to share this circa 1860 carte-de-visite from my collection with you.  It is the only photograph of a would-be transsexual I have ever discovered in 40 years of photo collecting:

    The photograph was taken by O. Desmarais of Montreal, P.Q.  It photo depicts a young man posing with his sister and mother in a studio. A spidery hand has written the word "HOWARD" beneath his portrait.  The look of forbearance on the faces of his sister and mother is something to behold.  Born a century too soon.

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"Born A Century Too Soon" Ctd

16 Nov 2010 03:28 pm

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/11/born-a-century-too-soon-ctd.html

A reader writes:

    Sometimes viewing things through a 21st century lens can be very misleading.  I think there is a pretty good chance this young man is just a late bloomer and not a transsexual.  Most noticeably, he does not appear to be making any attempt to actually look like a girl.  He's just in a dress.  Of course I may be wrong, as I'm not an expert on the history of the practice of breeching, but I remember seeing pictures of my grandfather in a dress when he was at least five or six and nobody assumed he was a transsexual.

The Daily Dish is showing it's historical ignorance. In the nineteenth century it was very common for boys to be dressed and wear their hair like girls up to a certain age. I've always wondered how easy it was for some of them to give it up, though.