The Lesbian History Sourcebook: Love and Sex Between Women in Britain from 1780-1970

by Alison Oram, Annmarie Turnbull

Overview

This groundbreaking critical anthology gathers together a wide range of primary source material on lesbian lives in the past. The material here is drawn from a diverse range of sources, including court records, newspaper reports, literary sources, writings on lesbianism from psychologists, doctors, anthropologists, as well as personal letters and journals.

The sources are arranged into thematic chapters, covering topics such as archetypes of lesbians - cross-dressing women and romantic friends, the making of lesbianism in culture, professional discourse on lesbians, public perceptions of lesbianism and women's own experiences.

This book will be a milestone in the publishing of lesbian history, and is set to provoke the impetus for fresh research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415114851
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/21/2001
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Alison Oram is Reader in Women's Studies at University College Northampton., Annmarie Turnbull works for a national charity.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I Archetypes of Love between Women; Chapter 1 Cross-Dressing Women; Chapter 2 Romantic Friends and Lesbian Couples; Part II Professional Commentaries; Chapter 3 Medicine; Chapter 4 Education; Chapter 5 Law; Part III Making Lesbianism in Culture; Chapter 6 The Well of Loneliness; Chapter 7 Social Perceptions; Chapter 8 Identities and Networks;

Editorial Reviews

'This critical anthology, which brings together a wide range of extracts from British primary sources, is a landmark for lesbian history.' - June Purvis, THES 30/5/03

From the Publisher

Oram (women's studies, Univ. Coll. Northampton) and Turnbull, who works for a national charity, have assembled a wide array of primary sources-including newspapers, scholarly writings, diaries, and letters-that represent British lesbian history beginning in the late 18th century. There is a brief introduction to each section, but the sources make up the bulk of the work. The authors acknowledge the difficulties inherent in identifying women from the past as lesbians. Opening with accounts of cross-dressing women and romantic friends, the authors proceed to offer commentaries by medical, legal, and educational professionals on the nature and impact of lesbians on society and then move on to consider lesbianism in British culture with an extensive look at the reactions to the 1928 Well of Loneliness obscenity trial. The book closes with a broader look at lesbianism in the 20th century. Although it covers much of the same ground as Lillian Faderman's Surpassing the Love of Men (LJ 2/15/81), Faderman's detailed analysis is richer in primary sources. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.-Debra Moore, Cerritos Coll., Norwalk, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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