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Tommy Civil War soldier Trans guy (unknown specifics). Referred to self as male. Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Transcription: At the death of "Henry" Arm-strong, a farm hand, a Juno, Tenn., it was discovered that he was a wo-man, who for twenty-five years had concealed her sex, posing as a man, whereas she had been a mother. From the The St. Johns Herald, Feb. 11, 1892. Courtesy of the Digital Transgender Archive. Next Previous

Transcription: A Strange Metamorphosis A remarkable phenomenon is related by the Dubuque(?) Times . Major Powell*, for-merly editor of the Minneapolis Tribune , some ten years ago married an accom-plished young lady in Broadhead, Wis. Soon after the marriage a change in the wife began to take place: her complexion became swarthy and a beard began to grow, which demanded and received the assiduous attention of a razor. Other physical changes went on, and after the couple had been reasonably happily mar-ied for a period of nearly three years, it became impossible to deny the fact that the girl was more man than woman. A visit was made to Chicago, an eminent physician was consulted, who confirmed the suspicion, and the major and his wife separated, there being no matrimonial pre-vision to bind two males together. The metamorphosized individual availed him-self of his prerogative, put away crinoline and donned male habliments, and com-menced work at a drug store in Chicago under the name of E.W. Burnham a change in the given name only being given to suit the change in sex. During the period young Burnham had lived as a woman, the acquaintance had been formed of another young woman, which acquaint-ance was renewed, and in course of time they were married. This couple are now traveling through the west with a dramatic company known as the Burnham Novelty Company. These facts, says the Dubuque(?) Times , are well authenticated. Mr. Burnham is the nephew of a prominent citizen of Minneapolis, in whose family he lived as a charming young girl for con-siderable time, and is the subject of one of those curious freaks of nature, which are rare, but undoubtedly occur. From the Dubuque(?) Times, Mar. 28, 1882. Courtesy of the Digital Transgender Archive. *Burnham's ex-husband appears to have a different name in this second article clipping than in the first (Palmer vs Powell) E.W. Burnham Head of Burnham Novelty company Trans guy (unknown specifics). Referred to self as male. Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Transcription: A Man and husband has turned up in St. Paul who was once a woman and wife. He, she or it is now known as E.W. Burnham, the head of the Burnham Novelty company. When he, she or it (pronouns get badly mixed in this case) was a blooming girl of nineteen summers and a smooth face, she was married to Major Palmer, formerly editor of the Minneapolis Tribune . After three hap-py years as a wife, a transformation came on. She shed her smoothness and a hirsute covering bearded her face. She became a man, and as Palmer wanted a woman for his wife, a divorce ensued. Then she, who was now he, not relishing a bachelor's lonely life, married a lovely girl who is now his wife, and one of the members of his company. And so the old classic fable is revived in our neigh-boring city, and we have a he that was a she, and knows all about it. Wonder if he has any special skill in managing his wife, or if he can dodge with more success than those who were always males, when she wants a new dress or a new hat? From the Duluth News-Tribune, Mar. 17, 1882 . Courtesy of the Digital Transgender Archive. Next Previous

N.W. Burnham Head of Burnham Novelty company Trans guy (unknown specifics). Referred to self as male. Born: Unknown Died: Unknown Transcription: A Colored Fille du Regiment. The Providence Journal relates that last May, while the 12th Rhode Island regiment was at Lancaster, Ky., a chubby young Anglo-African, asnwering to the name of "Tommy," came into camp, desiring to en-ter the service of one of Uncle Sam's offi-cers, a nd was taken by one of the captains of the 12th as a body servant. In that ca-pacity "Tommy" accompanied the regi-ment in its marches, and on its return to Providence, winning many pleasant words for good behavior. When the regiment was dismissed "Tommy" went to live with the Lieutenant. There the refinements were to much for "Tommy," and the cap-tains body servant proved to be a veritable daughter of the regiment, a girl of less than twenty summers, who had been able to conceal her sex in the huise of a boy that the captain, at whose feet she had slept, had no suspicion that he was harbor-ing a sable "woman and sister," determin-ed on achieving liberty at even the expense of a temporary renounciation of red band-annss and calico. The officers no reccol-lect that "Tommy" wouldn't ride horse-back, and declined the most tempting prop-osition to go a swimming. She has been properly provided for. From the Cleveland Morning Leader, Sep. 11, 1863. Courtesy of the Digital Transgender Archive. Next Previous

(via Google Books) Americans have long cherished romantic images of the frontier and its colorful cast of characters, where the cowboys are always rugged and the ladies always fragile. But in this book, Peter Boag opens an extraordinary window onto the real Old West. Delving into countless primary sources and surveying sexological and literary sources, Boag paints a vivid picture of a West where cross-dressing—for both men and women—was pervasive, and where easterners as well as Mexicans and even Indians could redefine their gender and sexual identities. Boag asks, why has this history been forgotten and erased? Citing a cultural moment at the turn of the twentieth century—when the frontier ended, the United States entered the modern era, and homosexuality was created as a category—Boag shows how the American people, and thus the American nation, were bequeathed an unambiguous heterosexual identity. Support Boag by buying his book on... University of California Press Amazon Read the book for free on other sites... JSTOR Trans Reads The Internet Archive (requires free account + only accessible to patrons w/ print disabilities) Or download it directly from the Trans Guy Archive by clicking the link below!

This 358 page book details Dr. Leslie Martin Lothman's research into what was referred to as "female transsexuals". We would now refer to "female transsexuals" as "trans men" (or adjacent term). The book contains material surrounding transition methods at the time, including theraputic and medicinal (i.e. surgery), as well as theory on the origins of "female transsexuality". Despite the book being published in the early 1980s, parts of it are oddly progressive, especially the section in Chapter 1 detailing what are myths and what are facts about "female transsexuals". See example images below. Given the time period, expect that the phrasing and word choices in this book will not be up-to-date or accurate to modern-day understandings of gender. You can borrow the entire book from the Internet Archive by clicking the link here. Above exerpts from Chapter One: Introduction to the Problem of Female Transsexualism

Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits is a collection of autobiographical portraits and writing about transition by photographer Loren Cameron. The book also features vignettes and information about other trans men and their experiences, as well as photos detailing surgical procedures, such as metoidioplasty and phalloplasty. As a note for the surgical photos: all of them are healed; though the book was published in 1996, so both surgeries have come a long way since then in terms of usability and aesthetic appeal. You can access the entire book for free by clicking here. Portrait of author Loren Cameron injecting testosterone. Accompanying caption to photo at right. Metoidioplasty: Subject 1 Accompanying caption for photo below. Metoidioplasty: Subject 2