"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.
