Charlotte Cushman
Listen to ArtMuse's episode on the revolutionary actress, proud lesbian, savvy business woman, staunch feminist, and force to be reckoned with, Charlotte Cushman.
Though Charlotte Cushman was one of the most famous actresses of the 19th century and a household name during her lifetime, she has since been unfairly written out of history. Charlotte deserves to be recognized not only for her impressive career on the stage, but as a remarkable woman in her own right.
In this episode, we aim to honor Charlotte as the talented performer she was who mastered both female and male roles, as a savvy business woman who managed her own career, as the ultimate ladies (wo)man unafraid to flaunt her latest female lover at a time when same-sex relationships were strictly condemned, as an early feminist who used her influence to promote the work of female artists, and as a fearless woman who went against the grain in nearly every facet of society, unafraid to break social convention to live her life with authenticity and freedom.
This episode is produced by Kula Production Company.
REFERENCES
Bloom, Arthur W. Charlotte Cushman: A Biography and Performance History. McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, 2023.
Wojczuk, Tana. Lady Romeo: The Radical and Revolutionary Life of Charlotte Cushman, America’s First Celebrity. Avid Reader Press, 2021.
IMAGES
Charlotte Cushman early in her acting career.
Charlotte Cushman as Lady Macbeth.
Charlotte Cushman as Meg Merrilies.
Thomas Sully, Charlotte Cushman, 1843.
Miniature portrait of Charlotte by Rose Sully.
Charlotte Cuashman as Hamlet.
Charlotte Cushman as Romeo.
Charlotte and her sister Susan as Romeo and Juliet.
The poet Eliza Cook in the 1860s.
Charlotte Cushman and Matilda Hays (Max) in 1858.
Charlotte Cushman and Matilda Hays (Max) in 1855.
William Page, Charlotte Cushman, oil on canvas, 1853.
Shakespeare Wood, Charlotte Cushman, 1853, marlble.
Harriet Hosmer, who lived with Charlotte in Rome.
The sculptor Edmonia Lewis.
The sculptor Emma Stebbins, who was Charlotte’s long term partner.
Emma Stebbins, Charlotte Cushman, 1870.
Emma Stebbins, Bethesda Fountain, the angel is believed to be modeled off of Charlotte.
Charlotte’s house in Boston, now a stop on the Heritage Trail.
Karl L. H. Müller, Portrait of Charlotte Cushman, 1876, now at the Brooklyn Museum.
