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Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Grace Greenwood, June 15, 1854
Charlotte Cushman tells Grace Greenwood about the change of her reputation after performing the role of Queern Katherine. She touches upon the heartbreak that she suffered from because Matilda Hays left her in London to be with Harriet Hosmer in Rome…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow, Dec 24, 1858
Charlotte Cushman tells Emma about her language barriers and ongoing struggles with the house renovations in Via Gregoriana, Rome. Emma Stebbins and Charlotte have still not been able to move. Harriet Hosmer who has helped Cushman out in the past…
Tags: love, Rome, same-sex attraction, social capital
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Unknown [Rosalie Sully], Glasgow, Nov 30, [1845]
Charlotte Cushman laments the "restrained expression" of the addressee in letters addressed to Charlotte. She met the addressee when the latter was 18 years old. The addressee has blue eyes and Cushman repeatedly assures the addressee of her love.…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow Cushman, Jan 22, 1864
Charlotte calls herself a "Mum" and Emma her "daughter" in this letter. She is criticizing Longfellow and critiquing the January issue of the Atlantic. Among other issues, Cushman is discussing "war" and "peace" democrats, the administration, Harriet…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow Cushman, Jan 30, 1863 [1864?]
This letter seems to be a follow up of Jan 22, 1864, and hence have the wrong date. Instead of "1863," the letter is probably from 1864.Charlotte Cushman tells Emma Crow Cushman that she never shows her letters to anyone except for reading single…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie Sully [?], Nov 21, [1845]
Charlotte Cushman is probably writing to Rosalie Sully here, since Charlotte is working in Great Britain and spending time with Eliza Cook. She repeatedly confesses her love to the addressee. They cannot show their intimacy publicly and Cushman can…
Tags: love, public intimacy
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow, Jan 22, 1859
Charlotte Cushman apologizes to Emma again for not writing any sooner. Charlotte has been very busy due to social duties and troubled by the construction work in her house in Rome. Language barriers proved to be a serious issue in advancing the work.…
Tags: financial concerns, love, travel/touring
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow, Nov 26, 1858
As it is often the case, Cushman is very busy, and finds it quite hard to write distant friends. It takes a month for a letter to get to St. Louis from Rome. Cushman informs Emma about her daily routine in Rome and her activities with Emma Stebbins.…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow, June 30, [1858]
Cushman regrets that Crow could not be with her, due to Crow's father not allowing her to come with to New York. She was disappointed to only see Crow's mother instead of her. Crow's parents had decided that Cushman was too occupied for their…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow, Apr 27, 1858
Charlotte Cushman feels poorly, so "unlike" herself lately. She is busy rehearsing and refers to her past life as a "hotel life" in which she was a "wanderer." Emma's father, Wayman Crow, is doing business in Baltimore and known as an honorable…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, Sept 15, 1855
Cushman and Hawthorne have almost met in London, but by the time Hawthorne got there she was already out of town. Cushman hopes to see her once she gets back from Lisbon, wanting to show off some art. She also talks about the weather and the cold…
Tags: London, travel/touring
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], Jan 15, 1863
Charlotte Cushman stresses that she reads only "portions" of Emma's letters to Emma's sister Mary who is a very "unamiable" character. Cushman is "fully aware of all her propensities," she say speaking of Mary who gets an "occasional rebuke" from…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], Nov 23, 1861
Charlotte Cushman is satsfied with Ned Cushman having improved his letter writing. She encourages him to write more and laments that Ned has never shown much affection towards herself. Since Charlotte's doctor is gone, she has had some language…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], July 26, 1861
Charlotte Cushman tells Emma how much she loves her and hopes that she is happy with her "choice." Charlotte forgot some papers in Emma's desk which the latter sent to Charlotte on the ship. Cushman admits that she is still not used to her new…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], Monday, July 17, [1861]
Emma Crow is with Mary. Cushman sends love and speaks fondly of Emma's father. Emma Stebbins is in Liverpool.
Credit
Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Tags: love, same-sex attraction
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], July 14, 1861
Love confession by Cushman
Credit
Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Tags: love, same-sex attraction
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Emma Crow], July 2, 1861
Charlotte Cushman addresses Emma Crow as her 'daughter.' Charlotte has not heard from Emma in a while and thus is worried about her. Ned has been involved in a misunderstanding with Mr Forbes and Charlotte interfered on his behalf.
Credit
Library…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Mary Cushman, Dec 2, 1844
Charlotte talks about the friends she has made in England and how she was invited to dinner and breakfast. She also mentions her sister Susan, the travelling and the acting.
Credit
Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division,…
Tags: social capital
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Mary Cushman, Nov 18, 1844
Cushman Cushman tells her mother that she has safely arrived in England, and did not get as seasick as she expected on the journey. She feels lonely in "exile" but expects to make some "friends" due to the 70 letters of introduction that she has…
Transcript of Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie, July 8 - 12, 1875
Charlotte Cushman is not happy with Mabel: "there has always been the feeling with me that she was so much more Muspratt than you – that I have never been drawn to her so much as to you – who are so much more like your poor dear mother - /&like…
Tags: respectability, social capital
Featured Item
Charlotte Cushman
Charlotte Cushman becomes widely known on both sides of the Atlantic as the first successful US-American actress. Earlier, she was a singer under the tutelage of James G. Maeder, married to actress Clara Fisher, in Boston. Charlotte has been the sole financial support of her mother since her father…

