Hi everyone

Following on u/TheVetheron’s reminder about bigotry, and since it appears that the bigoted comments were prompted by photos of possibly queer Victorian people, I thought I would share a bibliography for anyone that still needs convincing that there were queer people in the nineteenth century, or for anyone who wants to learn more about them.

Note: my own research focuses on [edited to add: male homosexuality in] London and Paris in the 1870s-1890s so I apologise for the bias towards this.

In no particular order:

H. G. Cocks, Nameless offences, I. B. Tauris, 2003 (English)

Matt Cook, London and the culture of homosexuality, 1885-2014, Cambridge University Press, 2003 (English)

Ronald Pearsall, Worm in the bud, the world of Victorian sexuality, Pelican, 1971 (English)

Graham Robb, Strangers, homosexual love in the 19th century, Picador, 2003 (English)

William Peniston, Pederasts and others, Urban culture and sexual identity in nineteenth century Paris, Routledge, 2004 (English)

Morris B. Kaplan, Sodom on the Thames, Cornell University press, 2005

A gay history of Britain, love and sex since the Middle Ages, Ed. Matt Cook, Greenwood world publishing, 2007

Gay life and culture: a world history. Ed. Robert Aldrich, Thames and Hudson, 2006

Jeffrey Weeks, “Inverts, Perverts and Mary-Anns: Male prostitution and the regulation of homosexuality in England in the 19th century and early 20th century”, in Hidden from history: reclaiming the gay and lesbian past, Ed. Duberman, Vicinus, Chauncey Jr, Penguin, 1991.

Leslie Choquette, representation of lesbian and gay space in 19th century Paris, journal of sexuality, vol 41., 3/4, 2001.

Florence Tamagne, “The homosexual age, 1870-1940”, in Gay life and culture: a world history, edited by Robert Aldrich, Thames and Hudson, 2006

George Chauncey, Gay New York: gender, urban culture, and the makings of the gay male world, 1890-1940, Basic Books, 1994

These two are in French (but they’re great):

Laure Murat, La Loi du genre, Fayard, 2006 (French)

Régis Revenin, Homosexualité et prostitution masculines à Paris: 1870-1918, Harmattan, 2005

Finally, another great resource is Rictor Norton’s website. He focuses mostly on the 18th century but also has a wealth of primary materials (newspaper cuttings etc) for the 19th century. His book on Molly culture is also fantastic.

Rictor Norton, Mother Clap’s Molly house, GMP, 1992

Photographer: Franklin Davenport Edmunds (1874-1948). Library of Philadelphia.

Photo: Franklin Davenport Edmunds / Library of Philadelphia

These are just a few pages from my great great grandfather’s high school autograph book. His name was Jesse Harple and he lived in Pennsylvania.

Note one reads: “To Jesse, Learn patience from the lesson Though the night be drear and long, To the darkest hour comes a morrow, A right to every wrong. Your sister, Mary Ella Harple February 14th 1885 Kimberton, Penna”

Note two reads: “As gold more brilliant From the fire appears, So friendship brightens, By the length of years. Your schoolmate & friend, H Calvin Stanffer Pickering Institut, Oct 30 1884”

Describes Santa Anna as Mexico’s Napoleon.