#historical lesbians

[eyesfullofmoon]

Truth, Melbourne, March 6, 1976.

[shititsarobyn]

I will feed dead fandoms (sorry to literally the two people I said I’d draw these women like a month ago and have had to wait this long lmao)

But yeah anyways thinking about younger Alma Lefay Peregrine and Isobel Cuckoo like the Roman Empire ((((:

[employee645-gay]

《Retourne-toi》

[unefemmemapparut]

by Medusa Dollmaker

[1900s-ghost-girl]

“And they were roommates”

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Source: Becoming Visible; An Illustrated History Of Lesbian And Gay Life In Twentieth-Century America- by Molly McGary and Fred Wasserman

[fleursscaptives]

thinking of this always

[makerofmoodboards]

A historical lesbian moodboard!

[sapphoscreek]

Finnish sapphics, 1800s

A post that was originally made in honour of lesbian visibility week in 2023. Gives you insight on eight Finnish sapphics who were born in the 1800s. Original post can be found here.

Isa Asp (1853–1872) wrote about 100 lyrical poems, and is known as the first woman Finnish poet. She became known as the "Sappho of Finland" and is considered to be Finland's first lesbian icon. Lydia Lagus, whom she met at school, was her muse (see for example "Laula, Lyydi!").

Vera Hjelt (1857–1947) was a feminist (known both nationally and internationally), social reformer, and a pioneer of occupational safety and health. She was Scandinavia's first woman vocational inspector. She never married and lived in various collectives with women.

In 1912 Vera met Victoria Heikel to whom she starting writing, as she herself named them, "love letters". Although part of their correspondence were destroyed by vera, enough letters remained for the after life to understand the nature of their relationship. After a trip with Victoria she wrote 12 poems dedicated to Victoria, one of them named "I röda rosenår" (eng. in red rose years) could loosely be translated to this: "in the heart's red rose year / i bewitched forget how / the seconds flies / when love dawns / and tenderness all life's longing rules". It's believed that "rosenröd" (eng. rose-red) was a symbol for love between women. Additionally, in Victoria's obituary Vera returns to this symbolism writing: "You were a rare radiant sunshine child, […] let us remember you vividly, as you were in your warm happiness, -- in red rose years."

Ester Helenius (1875–1955) was a Finnish artist. She never married but shared a home with suffrage activist Göta Salovius for 30 years. After Ester's death her niece found 2 unsigned poems, dedicated to Martta Helminen (with whom she spent time with in Paris in the 1920s).

Anastasie Mannerheim (1893–1978) and Sophie Mannerheim (1895–1963) were daughters of Finland's marshal. Both never married, and lived with women. Sophie lived with Alexandra "Alix" Demidoff-Depret-Bixio, and bequeathed everything to her. Alix was also buried next to Sophie in paris.

Anastasie lived with Olive Rooney, whom she met during her time as a nun at the Golders Green monastery. During a visit from her father, she introduced olive as her "petite amie" (eng. girlfriend). They first lived in Brighton and then in a nursing home where they shared a room.

Astrid Joutseno (1899–1962) was a pianist. She lived with her life partner, violinist Kerttu Wanne, in Paris until the 1950s at which time they built a house, that still exists today, in Finland. They also composed music and went on tours together.

Hilda Käkikoski (1864–1912) was a writer, teacher and member of Parliament. She lived with activist Fanny Pajula 1889–1895. She also had relationships with other women, for example Hildi Ennola (Hilda's buried alongside her), Frances Weiss, Hanna Masalin and Helmi Kivalo, that continued until her death.

Edith Södergran (1892–1923) was a poet, and one of the first modernists within Swedish literature. Biographers have erased her potential romantic love towards fellow Swedish speaking Finnish writer Hagar Olsson, and deemed it as intellectual. However, after Hagar's first visit Södergran wrote a series of poems about sisterhood in her third poetry collection (Rosenaltaret). Additionally, in her letters to Hagar, Edith begs Hagar to visit her again. Edith also gave Hagar a ring that she would carry all her life, and she wished to be buried with it.

Moreover, Södergran's poems have lots of lesbian elements (e.g. longing & love between women), see for example "I believe in my sister" from Rosenaltaret (1919): "I have a sister. / the elf-girls wove her silk garments, / the moon virgin sprinkled dew on her breasts…/ she is delightful".

References

Finnish National Gallery, https://www.kansallisgalleria.fi/en/search?authors[]=Ester%20Helenius (Accessed 26 April 2023)

Juvonen, T. (2000). 'Finland', in B. Zimmerman, Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, pp. 305–306

Juvonen, T. (2002). 'Käkikoski, Hilda Maria', in R. Aldrich and G. Wotherspoon (ed.), Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History. From Antiquity to the Mid-Twentieth Century. London & New York: Routledge, p. 237

Kaartinen, M. (2018). 'Vera Hjelt and the calling of theosophical universal work, 1894–1904', Approaching Religion 8 (1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.66735 (accessed 15 April 2023)

Marjakangas, T. (2016). Oliko ensimmäinen naislyyrikkomme myös lesboikoni? ‘Meistä se ei pidä ollenkaan paikkaansa’. Available at: https://yle.fi/a/3-9285043?utm_source=social-media-share&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ylefiapp (Accessed 24 April 2023)

Mononen, S. (2022). 'Tove Jansson ja Tuulikki Pietilä ovat ikoninen naispari, mutta naisten välistä rakkautta käsitellään taidenäyttelyissä harvoin: Tammisaaressa avautunut kokonaisuus tekee poikkeuksen', Helsingin Sanomat. Available at: https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000008631643.html (Accessed 26 April 2023)

Märtha. (2017). 'Föregångarkvinnor 14', OrdOdlaren. Available at: https://ordodlaren.wordpress.com/tag/vera-hjelt/ (Accessed 25 April 2023)

N.N. (1892). 'Vera Hjelt', Idun. Partisk veckotidning för kvinnan och hemmet. Available at: http://www2.ub.gu.se/fasta/laban/erez/kvinnohistoriska/tidskrifter/idun/1892/pdf/1892_12.pdf (Accessed 25 April 2023)

Palin, T. (2013). 'Musings on the monograph: The artistic career of Ester Helenius in the light of the art-and-life model', in J. Vakkari and R. Suominen-Kokkonen (ed.), The challenges of biographical research in art history today. Helsinki: The Society for Art History in Finland, pp. 37–50

Palin, T. (2015). 'Myöhään kukkiva lajike. Iän merkitys Ester Heleniuksen vastaanotossa ja julkisuuskuvassa', in V. Parente-Čapková, H. Grönstrand, R. Hapuli and K. Launis (ed.), Nainen kulttuurissa, kulttuuri naisessa.Turku: Turun Yliopisto,  pp. 293–320. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2015121724780 (Accessed 26 April 2023)

Pallaste, T. (2013). 'Esikoistytär jätti luostarin ja löysi neiti Rooneyn', Helsingin Sanomat, Available at: https://www.hs.fi/kuukausiliite/art-2000002659108.html (Accessed 27 April 2023)

Pallaste, T. (2017). 'Mannerheimin tyttärien vaietut elämät: hauras Stasie eli nunnana ja levoton Sophy pakeni Pariisiin – lopulta kumpikin eli suhteessa naisen kanssa', Helsingin Sanomat. Available at: https://www.hs.fi/kuukausiliite/art-2000005433998.html (Accessed 27 April 2023)

Pallaste, T. (2013). 'Nuorempi tytär haudattiin ystävättärensä viereen', Helsingin Sanomat. Available at: https://www.hs.fi/kuukausiliite/art-2000002659109.html (Accessed 27 April 2023)

Södergran, E. (1919). Rosenaltaret. Helsingfors: Schildt

Toresan. M. (2022). Female Identity and Sisterhood in Edith Södergran's Poetry [Bachelor's Thesis]. Uppsala: Uppsala Universitet. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/77227381/Female_Identity_and_Sisterhood_in_Edith_S%C3%B6dergran_s_Poetry (Accessed 29 April 2023)

Vuorinen, V. (2020). 'Kokoelmanosto: Kurkistuksia taiteilijaelämään', Turku.fi. Available at: https://www.turku.fi/blogit/kukkuu-kokoelmista/kokoelmanosto-kurkistuksia-taiteilijaelamaan (Accessed 28 April 2023)

Välimäki, S. (2021). 'Wanne, Kerttu', Kansallisbiografia. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Available at: http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:sks-kbg-010170 (Accessed 28 April 2023)

Wikander, U. (2018). 'Kvinnokärlek, kärleksbeundran och romantisk vänskapskärlek --Vera Hjelt och Victoria Heikel 1912-1919', in E. Borgström (ed.), Den kvinnliga tvåsamhetens frirum: Kvinnopar i kvinnorörelsen 1890-1960. Stockholm: Appell förlag, pp. 104–136

[timelordian-disaster-126]

Sorry guys this isn't doctor who related but I have to rant about it or else I'm gonna explode 🥲 but as of 5 minutes ago I just finished watching the movie 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' AND OMG!? I- HEHWHSHRHWHSJFJW THE ESSAYS GUYS, THE ESSAYS I COULD AND WOULD WRITE ON THIS MOVIE! this little historical lesbian love story took my heart and burned it, like omg??? The Greek mythology reference??? Like the major references to Eurydice and Orpheus!?! I'm literally on the floor sobbing. I'm not much of a movie person but this was Beautiful, absolutely STUNNING film. I highly recommend watching it if you enjoy a more soft romance please, I need more people to talk about this movie. Also it has great painting ASMR ngl.

[rinkje]

Title: The New Bracelet

Artist: Genrikh Semiradsky

Year: 1883

Medium: oil on canvas

Source:

[lesbore]

i want what they have

[vttanon]

[croshnaloov]

I cannot believe I drew that yesterday mildly intoxicated and thoroughly depressed…

Think I just really missed drawing knights and lesbians…

[ivressesdhier]

Romaine Brooks, Radclyffe Hall and Mazo de la Roche in The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche (2012)

[sapphicphilhellene]

Natalie Clifford Barney and her lover/long-term friend Eva Palmer during the era of their romantic relationship

Notation: Eva and Natalie became aquatinted whilst vacationing in Bar Harbor, Maine. They formed a relationship in 1893 and maintained it long enough to move to Paris together, becoming an influential couple in the Parisian sapphic community. Their relationship, while Natalie’s first truly serious pursuit was also fluid. Natalie helped Eva pursue other women such as Pauline Tarn. However, their relationship eventually came to a close and Eva married the Greek poet Angelos Sikelianos.