Alice Austen's Gertrude and I (1891)
What's domestic life looks like?
Alice Austen, Gertrude and I (1891)
I re-learn this word again when I saw Alice Austen's work. Her photograph that usually shot in her home show me that domestic doesn't have to mean being a mother or child or cleaning or anything like that. Domestic in some sense simply means 'home'. Home that is a place for family that you choose, for things you love, and for person you want to be.
Alice Austen's home is kinda like a club for Victorian-Edwardian woman. Not a woman that we think Victorian-Edwardian woman would be, a real woman who have flesh and blood. She usually held a meeting or costume party at her home. They came to ride a bicycle, wear only underwear, play sports, smoke cigarette and dress like a man. Home is the only place they can be what we now call freedom. A freedom to explore identity and to be one self.
Alice Austen. Julia Martin, Julia Bredt and self dressed up, sitting down (1891)
'Gertrude and I' is a picture of Alice Austen herself and Gertrude Tate at one of Alice Austen's mask party in her home. The picture surely very inappropriate at that time features two woman in her underwear smoke cigarette in lover-like manner. Actually, not only the scene was inappropriate but also the real life behind it that was unacceptable for late 18th century-early 19th century public.
Gertrude Tate and Alice Austin were living together for more than 30 years. They build their life around each other, travelled to Europe together, hosted a party together, ran a tea room for community together. Lots of 8,000 pictures that Alice Austen made had Gertrude Tate in it. Tragedy is, in 1929 when stock market crash and the great depression begins. They have to sold the house and struggle working in their sixties to live together. In their eighties due to money and health conditions, they had to separate. The only wish that Alice Austen ask was when she pass away please buried her beside Gertrude Tate. When she died in 1952, the wish was decline by both of their families. So, no matter how long they live together and how much they mean for each other. It's just for a place like their home.
Domestic life is the only place where all their dream come true.
Alice Austen. S.S. Cleveland Cabin 219 Self over camera (1912)
Notes
I have been doing a podcast for The Cloud ,Thai creative online publication, for 3 years. This week, I recorded a podcast about Alice Austen works and life and then my editor told me that now in Thailand we cannot say the word 'LBGTQ+ culture' ,the internet cancelled the word because a person who they witch hunting say this word and they all rant about LGBTQ+ is not a culture. For me, the word 'LGBTQ culture' have beautiful meaning and held the weight of history in it which is the thing I want to say. After talking ,my editor and I both agree to not change the word.
It break my heart to see how cancelled culture distorted everything and brought someone to dead by every words that person said even it's no reason at all. The consequent is absurd. How can we talk about how LGBTQ+ changes from being taboo as what Alice Austen faces, to being an underground culture, to subculture ,and to get represented in mainstream culture if we can't say the word 'LGBTQ culture'? which I am proudly to say.
Reading Note
A documentary film I watched years ago on Mubi - The Female Closet (1998) by Barbara Hammer
Alice Austen's life by Bonnie Yochelson in The Gotham Center For New York City History
And I want to visit Alice Austen House soooo much.
