Many library collections contain rich stories of individuals across centuries who transgressed sexual and gender norms, as well as documentation of the people and systems against which they transgressed. These historical artifacts can help shape new narratives around queer history and identity, or enrich old ones. Coded language and oblique references may pose challenges to researchers, but there is a wealth of material to find on queer people throughout history.

In November 2018, Houghton Library hosted a program led by writer, educator, and bookseller Brooke Palmieri, titled “A Queer View of History: Finding Gender Non-Conformity in the Library.” This program inspired us to examine our own and other collections more closely.

Each case in this exhibit highlights a different approach to researching queer history:

Although we explored a number of fascinating stories, our research barely scratched the surface. We encourage researchers to continue the exploration, and we hope this exhibit will give you some tools to get started.

We paid special attention to the question of language in this exhibit. Wary of assigning labels to individuals who cannot speak for themselves, we have not sought to label the people highlighted here. We used the language that individuals used for themselves when it was available, and employed “they/them” for individuals whose personal pronouns are not well established historically.

This exhibit was curated by AJ Blechner, Anna Martin, and Mary Person. This online exhibit features highlights from the physical exhibit that was on view in the Harvard Law School Library September 4, 2019 - February 14, 2020.

Banner Image Credit: Detail of 120 F. Supp. ___ (1954), West Publishing Co.: 1954; Manfred S. Guttmacher Papers, 1928-1964 (inclusive). H MS c205. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass. Box 1, Folder 30. HOLLIS 990006033870203941