Femmes, Furs, & Farce: Queer Dress & Art in Early-Mid 20th Century America

Abstract

The focus of this research paper is the utilization of queer self-styling in personal life and queer art in the United States from 1905-1955. This paper aims to add to the current conversation in queer theory and historical dress by addressing a current fragmentation of existing study through an approach that synthesizes several decades, subcultures, and styles of dress. Continuing the investigation into the role of fashion in queer history, this paper focuses heavily on both personal and media-related topics, including the queerness of the early cinema industry and the prevalence of lesbian pulp novels. The framework used to collect data was a qualitative, inductive approach; this research was conducted using thematic historical image analysis with a basis in ethnographic study to analyze and organize results. After compiling 44 photos from the first half of the 20th century and dividing them into the categories “Personal Photos” and “Queer Art,” the investigation showed 6 themes that were pervasive throughout the collection: Subversion, Covertness, Performance, Romantic Connection, Community, and Camp. Ultimately, it was found that self-styling in the early-mid 20th century was employed by queer individuals and communities for a diverse range of functions, from concealment to performative self-expression. These results carry implications for analyses of modern-day uses of dress in queer spaces and sociological conceptions of symbolic interactionism. Future investigations should focus on applying the themes deduced in this paper to other geographies and periods of history, as well as on expanding the image database created in this study.