Photographs and postcards of women collection, circa 1900-1960
Collection Number: 7678

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Photographs and postcards of women collection, circa 1900-1960
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
7678
Abstract:
A collection of photographs and postcards from various sources, primarily of unidentified women by unidentified photographers that show women in various homosocial poses or in gender transgressive dress or behavior. Some images may be of sisters, relatives, or female friends; some are explicitly lesbian in nature. Together, they give visual documentation of women's relationships, body language, and dress. Specific descriptions follow.
Creator:
Quanitities:
.1 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English

RELATED MATERIALS

Collecting program: Human Sexuality Collection.
Photographs and postcards of gender collection, #7717.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

Photographs and postcards of women collection, #7678. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Scope and content

A collection of photographs and postcards from various sources, primarily of unidentified women by unidentified photographers that show women in various homosocial poses or in gender transgressive dress or behavior. Some images may be of sisters, relatives, or female friends; some are explicitly lesbian in nature. Together, they give visual documentation of women's relationships, body language, and dress. Specific descriptions follow.

SUBJECTS

Subjects:
Women -- United States.
Transsexuals -- Travel -- Italy.
Lesbians -- United States -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Lesbians -- Germany -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Female friendship.
Masculinity.
Mock wedding
Male impersonators
Form and Genre Terms:
Photographs.
Postcards.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1
Group of postcards and photographs
1900-1950
Scope and Contents
13 images on a variety of themes, all unidentified, and not necessarily related to each other. Two are of solitary women, one of which is a woman sitting on a log in a forested area, wearing a long skirt, cardigan, and blouse with man's tie. A few photos show groups of women wearing ornate hats. One may be a valentine. Several look like family pictures, of sisters, or mother and daughter.
Postcards.
Gelatin silver prints.
Cabinet card photographs.
Box 1 Folder 2
Postcards
early 1900s
Scope and Contents
Three postcards: a German postcard, a photographic postcard of two women on a porch, and a photographic postcard of two women within the arms of a third.
Gelatin silver prints.
Postcards.
Relief halftones (prints)
Box 1 Folder 3
American postcard
early 1900s
Scope and Contents
Postcard showing two young women sitting on a rail of a deck with their arms around each other. The text reads: "She squeezed her and kissed her without any joy, ..'It's the masculine fervor you lack,' said she, ''Tis easy to tell you are far from a boy, By the soft-pedal tone of the smack, you see." Formerly #7646
Relief halftones (prints)
Box 1 Folder 4
Nude or semi-nude photographs of women together
1940-1960
Three gelatin silver photographs.
Gelatin silver prints.
Box 1 Folder 5
Photographs of women
1910-1957
Thirty loose photographs.
Scope and Contents
Advertised on eBay as "Lesbian Interest, Old Photo Album All Women," the album is indeed entirely photographs of girls and women, both young and old, dating from circa 1910-1957. Their relationships are unknown. Ten photos are of two women together. Others are possibly mothers and daughters, grandmothers and daughters, and groups of friends, as well as photos of individuals. They are mostly informal shots; just a few are studio portraits. One is marked "Black's Studio, Wewoka, Okla." Names are written on the back of only a few photographs. They are: Mary L. Irwin, Jan Rorke?, and Mrs. Brenner. Creators unidentified.Photograph album (folder 6) corresponds to these photographs.
Gelatin silver prints.
Box 1 Folder 8
Photograph album
1910-1957
Green album with "Photographs" embossed on cover in gold. Contains 27 gelatin silver prints.
Scope and Contents
Photographs in this album correspond to photographs in folder 1-5.
Box 1 Folder 6
Photograph of two women
ca. 1930
Scope and Contents
Small photo of 2 women standing next to each other, hugging and looking at each other. Described on eBay as "GIRLFRIENDS Hug and LOOK in Eyes LESBIAN Int."
Gelatin silver prints.
Box 1 Folder 7
Photographic postcard showing a woman in man's clothing sitting on a porch rocker with her arm around another woman in more traditional female clothing
1905
Scope and Contents
On the verso is written: "Dear friend: Will send you a card. Do you know either one in the picture? I make a pretty good looking boy don't I? The other is a girl friend of mine. We had them taken on our porch just for the fun of it. Your friend Ella." Above the inscription is written: "Did you ever see the suit before is it C.B. they fit me pretty good."
Gelatin silver prints.
Postcards.
Box 1 Folder 9
Photograph of group of women dressed as men smoking cigarettes
ca. 1910
Gelatin silver prints.
Box 1 Folder 10
Tintype of woman dressed as man
ca. 1890
Tintypes (photographic prints).
Box 1 Folder 11
Photographs of women dressed as men
ca. 1920
Scope and Contents
Three photographs of women dressed as men, two portray a couple, including one of a mock wedding.
Gelatin silver prints.
Box 1 Folder 12
Postcards featuring portraits of two women outside home
Scope and Contents
Five postcards featuring the same pair of women outside the same house. Both women dress as men in some portraits.
Gelatin silver prints.
Photographic postcards.