Rumor is he dressed in women's clothes

[LeannL]

Today, I visited the Rhode Island School of Design Art Museum and the James Brown house in Providence. I was dressed in my grey business suit as I was last week in Worcester. Things went well.

Actually for the James Brown house, I switched to black slacks as it was raining like mad. The James Brown house is a colonial era house that is now a museum. I went on their guided tour. The young lady was explaining where in the house they held their parties. At one point, she mentioned that one of the Brown brothers is rumored to have come to the party dressed in women's clothes. :battingeyelashes: She did mention that at 6 foot 3, he probably wasn't blending in too well.

The interesting thing for me was that she didn't flinch when she told us about this colonial CD. She didn't look my way nor did any of the other people on the tour.

Of course, I don't know if
a) She made up the story for my sake
b) She knew that I was a CD and was very polite (as were the other guests)
c) I really passed
d) a) and b) are true.

My bet is b.

Anyway, it was an interesting experience to have someone mention a CD while I was CDing. :)

Leann

[Alice Torn]

A six foot three cd, back then, was tall, and would stand out! I am six foot sex barefoot, and six nine or ten in heels, and can only pass in the dark, or at some distance. Good thing the lady was nice toward you.

[Teri Jean]

I'm 6-4 and yes she probably was being considerate. I hope you told her thank you for the wonderful tour.

Keli

[curse within]

Well I am short compared to the last 2 post ( like the guard compared to the power forward ) but still at 6' 2" even today is a happy medium ..

[Persephone]

Interesting! I can't quickly come up with any other references to James/John Brown's crossdressing.

There are stories and legends of other crossdressers from around that time. Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, was the appointed British Governor of New York from 1701 to 1708.

According to a Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hyde,_3rd_Earl_of_Clarendon):

Cornbury is reported to have opened the 1702 New York Assembly clad in a hooped gown and an elaborate headdress and carrying a fan, imitative of the style of Queen Anne. When his choice of clothing was questioned, he replied, "You are all very stupid people not to see the propriety of it all. In this place and occasion, I represent a woman (the Queen), and in all respects I ought to represent her as faithfully as I can." It is also said that in August, 1707, when his wife Lady Cornbury died, His High Mightiness (as he preferred to be called) attended the funeral again dressed as a woman. It was shortly after this that mounting complaints from colonists prompted the Queen to remove Cornbury from office.

I think that you would find that in those days crossdressing was generally regarded as an eccentricity rather than as a "big deal." I've come across newspaper articles of the period that present crossdressers as sort of mildly interesting.

Hyde was presumably more than a crossdresser, he supposedly took bribes, plundered the public treasury, drank to excess, and generally ran amok.

It is interesting that recently (2000) historian Patricia Bonomi published The Lord Cornbury Scandal: The Politics of Reputation in British America (ISBN-10: 0807848697) in which she refutes much that has been said about Hyde all of these years. She apparently tries to vindicate dear old Lord Cornbury, even claiming that he did not crossdress.

I don't have her book in my library, but look forward to receiving a copy soon. Seems strange that someone in contemporarly times, who would have very little to go on, would be able to overturn what has long been considered a large body of evidence, but I suspect that's what doctoral dissertations are all about and this may very well be a published version of hers.

This picture has usually been considered a portrait of Lord Cornbury and has hung in the New York Historical Society for many years.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/sandylewiscares/Lord_Cornbury.jpg

[Karren H]

Go back in drab and retake the tour... For science sake and see if she has a different spin.. If she says "appearently his brother was a pervert" then it would be B... she was being kind! Lol. Otherwise if she says the same thing but adds "which is appearently popular in this city since we get a lot of CDs taking the tour" then that would be B and not C... Or if she says the same thing but comes up afterwards and ask if your sister had taken the tour recently then its all C!! :)

Let us know how it went!! For science's sake!! Lol

[docrobbysherry]

I could swear James Brown was under 6' tall. To have a brother that tall, hmmmm?
I think I'll watch the, "Blues Brothers", again tonite. See how tall Brown is, compared to Balushi!:D

[Karen564]

Go back in drab and retake the tour... For science sake and see if she has a different spin..

LOL,
Leave it to our Karren to be so smart & logical....:clap:

Yes, that would the only way to be sure...for science sake..

[DonnaT]

I doubt she would have said he was a CD if it weren't true. She could possibly find herself out of a job.

I am six foot sex barefoot
:heehee:

[JulieC]

for science sake..

Where can I sign up for CD research? :)

[Lingerie Alley]

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