16 Gorgeous Portaits Of Defiant Lesbians In The 19th And 20th Centuries

#1

These women were the epitome of 1940s fashion. This is one of a remarkable set of images that capture female love at a time when it was considered taboo.

#2

These two women in swimsuits lovingly embracing one another, circa 1910s. This picture was taken when homosexuality was illegal. Many family members destroyed pictures of their homosexual relatives out of fear of persecution. In some countries, homosexuality was even subject to capital punishment.

#3

These two women are pictured here caught in a passionate embrace, circa 1890. Both women are widely believed to be lesbians. Although it is unknown whether several of the people in the stunning images were related, lesbians or just friends – the tender and close relationship between the women pictured is poignantly evident

#4

American actress Charlotte Cushman, left and British writer Matilda Hays, right, in 1858. The pair enjoyed a 10-year relationship, and Cushman was particularly famous in her home country, even entertaining President Lincoln.

#5

We can only assume they met at college. Kitty Ely class of 1887, left, and Helen Emory class of 1889, who were students at Mount Holyoke, Massachusetts.

#6

These women were particularly unconventional. Not only were they thought to be lesbians, but they had no qualms about dressing in men's attire either. This photograph was taken in 1900.

#7

Lesbian love flourished during World War Two. Dorothy Putnam and Lois Mercer in the 1930s when they started dating. The two ladies were partners for over 50 years. During World War II, Dorothy served in the Women's Ambulance and Transport Corps of California (W.A.T.C.C.), and later the Air Force, rising to the rank of First Lieutenant.

#8

These two Victorian lesbians about to share a kiss. This photograph dates back to 1880. At a time when homosexuality was kept secret, these images of same-sex couples from the 19th century are extremely rare.

#9

These wwo women caught in an embrace, circa 1920s. Once again, it’s not known if they were lovers or not, but photographs like this remain an important part of LGBTQ+ history.

#10

Mary Edmonia Lewis, an American sculptor who worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. This is one of the earliest photographs of a rumored lesbian from 1874.

#11

One woman kisses her female companion in front of a class car, taken in the 1950s, shortly before homosexuality was decriminalized.

Homosexuality became legal in 1962 in the US and 1967 in the UK. The location of this photograph is unknown.

#12

Their names aren’t known, but their kiss in the 1920s has sealed them a place in LGBTQ+ history. They pictured in a garden enjoying one another's company.

#13

Annabell and Gladys were thought to be lesbians. The butch-femme dichotomy goes back a lot further than you might think. This picture was taken in 1900.

#14

These two women share a kiss in 1950. If you’ve ever wondered where the word lesbian comes from, it’s derived from the Greek island of Lesbos. This is where a poet by the name of Sappho was born, who frequently wrote about lesbian relationships between c. 630 – c. 570 BC.

#15

This photograph from 1910 of two women in a close embrace was found in an attic and written on the back was "Aunty Mary and her 'friend'Ruth, 1910". This photograph’s description is telling of how lesbian couples referred to each other in the past. The quotation marks around the word friend suggest that Ruth was, in reality, a lot more than that – as does the picture itself.

#16

This couple was torn apart by World War Two. Felice Rahel Schragenheim and Lilly Wust, circa 1942. She later died during a march between concentration camps. The story of the relationship between Schragenheim and Wust is portrayed in the 1999 film Aimée & Jaguar, and in a book of the same name by Erica Fischer